Manhunt
by DuckiePray
Summary: Eighteen months after "Sacrifice", when one of their closest friends is abducted, what trouble will ensue as the brothers throw all caution to the wind, in an effort to get him back? Batten down the hatches, there are some rough seas ahead.
1. At Home

***This fan-fic is actually number four in a continuing series. If you'd like to understand more of the history/and or back stories of the following characters, it would do you well to peruse some of my earlier work. Everything is tied together.**

**As always, I do not own the TMNT, but I _have _created a of series of OC's that almost feel like children to me, after all the time I've spent developing them over the course of three stories.**

* * *

"Don? Donnie, _c'mon_, this ain't funny anymore."

Donatello heard his voice faintly, as if it were coming from very far away. Something cold splashed over his face, and he finally woke up further, blinking rapidly. "Mm...hey Mikey." He murmured softly.

"Do you know how long I've been trying to wake you up?" His younger brother demanded.

"Um...no, I don't, sorry."

"Almost _ten_ minutes! What's the matter with you, huh? You _scared_ me to death!"

"Sorry Mike." He repeated. "I must have been really tired."

"_Tired_?" Michelangelo said incredulously, having already noticed the epi-pen that was still loosely in Donatello's grip.

Faster than Donatello could blink, Mike yanked it out of his hand.

"Then what's _this_ Donnie? What were you doing?"

"Nothing." He answered in a tone that implied anything but.

"Really, nothing? So if I just turned this thing on myself, it's not going to do anything to me?" He threatened.

"No Mike, you don't need to do that." Donatello said quickly, sitting up so fast that he actually got a little dizzy.

"That's what I _thought_. What is this stuff Donnie?"

"It's a short acting sedative, Doc and I have been working on it for about three months."

"Let me guess - this is the final stage run-through? I coulda_ sworn _Doc put the smack-down on that about eight years ago."

"It's_ just _a sedative Mike."

"It was_ just _a sedative that got him into our lives to begin with, _remember_?" His brother proclaimed angrily.

"This is completely different." Donatello negated, sitting up slowly the rest of the way.

"You could have given us a heads up or something, at the very _least_. I just came in here to ask ya something, I wasn't expecting to find you _passed_ out."

"Again...I'm sorry."

"Does_ Doc _know you're still running your own trials?"

"He let me do it _with_ him under supervision, a couple of weeks ago. It's actually been very successful, kicks in quickly, but then it only lasts about...twenty minutes or so."

"Then why are you doing this _again_?"

"'Cause you have to test this stuff more than once Mikey! Do me a favor, and get me that scanner over there on the desk."

Michelangelo picked up the medical reader, and handed it over to him.

"What are you checking?"

"I have to keep a good record of my vitals, and how they respond according to the drug. It was causing too much of a drop in blood pressure about a month ago, and now..." Donatello trailed off for a moment, as he studied the screen. "Now it seems a lot more stable. Not _perfect_, but it's in a pretty good place."

"Does that make it ready? To use on someone _besides_ yourself I mean?" Mike asked sarcastically.

"I'll give it a couple more weeks of study I think, then we'll see where we're at."

"Please don't do it without Doc again."

"I won't Mike - promise."

* * *

When they left the Lab, they found Leonardo and Raphael in front of the TV, trying to decide on a channel.

"I'm going to get some lunch going Donnie, are you hungry?" Mike asked him as they entered the living area.

"_I'm_ hungry." Raphael spoke up.

"I didn't ask _you _Raph, I know I never need to." Mike told him with a grin, and looked back at Donnie. "You want?"

"Yeah, sure Mikey, I could eat."

Michelangelo disappeared into the kitchen, and Donatello dropped into a chair across from his brothers.

"Hey Don, what have you been up to?" Leonardo asked.

"Little of this, little of that." He said a bit evasively, and glanced at the television to change the subject. "Are you settled on something yet?"

Leonardo had stopped on the local news. "Yeah, maybe they'll say something about the attempted break-in at that electronic store last night." He answered with a feisty smile.

"You just _love_ to hear 'em toot our horn, don't ya Fearless." Raphael teased him.

"I think it's interesting to hear their side of it." Leonardo defended himself, but couldn't hold in a grin entirely.

"You love it, and you _know_ it." Raphael countered, and then glanced over at Donatello. "Your shell is mine later today, don't forget."

"How could I forget? You reminded me three times yesterday." Donatello pointed out. "And I'm ready for you."

"I hope you can put your money where your mouth is, 'cause I'm in the mood for a challenge."

"I'll be more than happy to _oblige_ you."

"Can you two save the trash talk for a couple minutes? I'm trying to hear this." Leonardo requested.

Raph glanced at the screen and shook his head. "This ain't even _about_ our junk Leo." He interjected.

"I _still_ wanna hear it."

Raphael and Donatello took a moment to listen, without really understanding what was going on.

"Who's _that_ joker?" Raphael pointed at it after a couple of seconds.

"Guy's name is Cartier Morello, he's one bad dude. He's the head of one of the biggest underground crime rings in New York, and the NYPD _almost_ caught up with him last night."

"Almost?" Raphael scoffed. "Too bad _we_ weren't in on that action."

"It was really close Raph, there was a big gun battle and everything. They've got all these area hospitals on alert for sightings of some of them."

"Too bad the FBI wasn't in on it." Donatello said. "Kat woulda done finished it last _night_."

"There _were_ some FBI there, it was a joint venture. But that woman can't be everywhere." Leonardo told him.

"It would be cool if she could, wouldn't it? Clone a few dozen of her, the underworld would never know what hit it." Donatello cracked.

"Why don't you get right on that genius?" Raphael suggested with a smile.

"Luke does pretty well, but I'm not sure that he could handle more than one of her." Leonardo said dryly.

Donatello glanced back at the screen again. "So they were _that_ close, and now he's gone?"

"Apparently." Leonardo answered. "I guess you win some, you lose some."

* * *

"_Shoot_ Donnie, why don't ya just take my whole head off next time?" Raphael complained to his younger brother, as he helped pull him upright.

"I'm sorry Raph, I can reign it in a bit." Donatello apologized.

"Forget about it genius, I'm just pulling your leg. That was a good move, where'd you pull that from?"

"Mike and I just messing around. That's where a lot of the new stuff ends up coming from."

"Well I'm gonna say that the spar goes to you."

"Why are you calling it so fast Raph? I _seem_ to recall hitting the mat a couple of times myself."

"'Cause that last move just put you over the top, and you ought go get cleaned up before your _wife_ gets home."

Donatello immediately glanced at his watch. "Oh _wow_, she'll be here soon. Thanks bro, I'm out."

* * *

By the time he got out to the living area, she was already in the doorway. Jenna was more dressed up than usual, something she literally only did she had a meeting with potential buyers. He met her a couple of steps inside the Den.

"Hi Jen, did you have a good day?"

"Mmhm." She answered, immediately leaned to his level so that she could kiss him. "Let me get out of these_ heels _and the rest of this junk, and I'll be right back."

"You _are _already tall enough without them y'know." He teased her.

"It's not _my _fault that you're spatially challenged hon."

"You _could_ just call me short, save yourself a few syllables."

"I'm trying not to discriminate." She cracked.

Jenna returned from upstairs a few minutes later, looking exceedingly more comfortable. She pulled black hair back off her forehead again as she dropped onto the couch beside Donatello.

"I get so tired of all the preening these labels make me do. They aren't even _buying_ my look." Jenna said with the Australian lilt that Donatello never got tired of listening to.

"But they _are _buying your music." He reminded her, and she ducked her head slightly.

"Just a couple Donnie, I wouldn't quite call it a career yet."

"You're getting started Jen, and you're getting in the_ doors_. Isn't that the most important thing?"

"They're going to review more of my material this time. Cross your fingers for me Donnie."

"I always do, though I hardly find it necessary. It's only a matter of time Jenna, the songs you write _will _be mainstream."

"You don't know that."

"If they love you _half_ as much as I do, you're gonna make it big time Jen."

She batted light blue eyes at him a little coyly. "So what do you wanna_ do _tonight?"

"I don't know," He answered a little slyly in return, pulling her closer to him on the couch. "What do _you_ wanna do?"


	2. On the Surface

"Are you_ sure _you can't get out of it?" Luke asked Katherine with one his winning smiles, even loving the way that she rolled her amber eyes at him.

"_Some _of us have to work full-time Luke." She digged at him.

"Are you impying that the _guys _don't keep me on my toes enough as it is?" Luke asked lightly. "Do you know how many stitches it took to close up Raph's arm last week?"

Katherine paused to kiss him, and pulled away laughing as he pursued her for more.

"No Luke, I know you work hard with those boys. How's the Lab stuff coming with Donnie these days?"

"We're working on new things all the time, expanding the repertoire of formulas that we can use. We're also trying to_ improve _the ones we already have in place." Luke told her, tugging her arm to pull Kat down into a chair with him. She allowed him to draw her close, and he smiled again as he smoothed bronze hair from her cheek.

"Do you know how long it could be this time?" He asked her.

"Shouldn't be more than a couple of weeks."

"Just a couple, as in fourteen days? That's like..._336_ hours. What am I supposed to do without you for that long?"

He got the eye roll again.

"The _same_ thing you did before I came along. You could spend nearly every waking moment underground anyway."

"More like every _eating_ moment."

"You've got Mikey trained _well_, don't you?"

"Aw, he loves it, he always has."

"I'm not doing too horrible with it, am I?"

Katherine had always been more suited to busting heads, than she had been running a kitchen. But her recent change in marital status had seen her making more of an effort in that department than she'd ever tried in her life.

"No, it's been great Kat." Luke assured her sweetly.

"I only had to use the fire extinguisher that _one_ time."

"Yeah hon, you reacted really quickly." Luke said with a completely straight face.

"I'll get the hang of it eventually." Kat said with a bit of a pout.

"No one's complaining here Kat...except for the fact that you have to _leave_."

"I'll _be_ back Luke. You can stay busy with Donatello, maybe get a few more details done around_ this _place...and I'll be around before you know it."

Luke paused to gaze around the sitting room of the house, what had quickly become their favorite hangout, since moving into the Brownstone that he'd helped his parents start restoring years ago. It had sat sadly devoid of life for several years after his parents' sudden death, and had become a rather sore spot for him. The thought of letting it go wasn't remotely conceivable, but it had also been too painful for him to live in it.

It still held memories around every corner, bringing emotion back to the surface that he hadn't always dealt with properly in times past. But he was no longer the same guy he'd been over eight years ago, when tragedy had taken away the only family that Luke had in the world. It had been a serious breaking point for the young man, that he quite nearly didn't recover from.

On his own truly for the first time in his life, Luke had left the Brownstone in Chelsea Square, moving into a "random" apartment building that had ended up bringing about a catalyst of events, that he'd never imagined in his wildest dreams. It was there that he'd met and been befriended by April, slowly opening up out of his grief under her patient advances. After five months of friendship, the _real_ turning point had come unexpectedly one evening, when the woman had shown up out of the blue at his door, with an unusual but urgent request. It was that night that he'd been introduced into the turtle's world, and in the process, ended up finding _himself_ again.

Katherine was his wife, but the guys were just as much family to him as the woman that he dearly loved. One thing was for sure, life around them was _never_ boring.

"Luke?" Kat said questioningly, as he'd retained the far-away look in his dark blue eyes.

"Hm?" He answered a little distractedly.

"Are you alright?"

"Better than alright." He answered swiftly, leaning over to kiss her again. "I'll just miss you, that's all."

"I could always try to get myself assigned to some boring desk job, that would never take me away from New York City."

Luke snorted at the thought. "Sure Kat, you'd do about as well being chained to some desk as one the _guys_ would. Your kind isn't happy unless you're giving somebody the hard knocks."

"It is more satisfying than shuffling paperwork." She said with a wink.

"Mmhm. So go ahead and catch up with the criminals of the moment, so you can come back home faster, okay?"

"Deal Luke. The sooner we get to business, the sooner I'll be back."

Luke sat up suddenly a little straighter in the chair. "Do you smell something Kat?"

She started suddenly, amber eyes going a little wide. "Oh _brother_, hang on!" She said swiftly, darting to get out of the chair and back down the stairs.

He followed her down the staircase, pausing in the doorway to the kitchen as she yanked the oven door open, immediately trying to fan away the smoke.

"Oh man, I forgot to set the _timer_!" She exclaimed in frustration.

"Do you want me to call--"

"You'd better." She said with a sigh, letting the oven door slam shut. "I'm sorry hon, I promise I'll get better at this!"

Luke wrapped both arms around her waist encouragingly. "It's not a big deal Kat."

"But Marc and April will be here any second!"

"And they love Chinese as much as we do. Let me get an order placed, and I'll come back here and help you clean up."

* * *

Luke answered the door about fifteen minutes later, waving April and Marcus inside the house, as Kat was running around like a mad woman, lighting scented candles to try and cover up the smokey smell that lingered in the kitchen.

Marcus grinned at Luke knowingly. "Lemme guess. Chinese?"

"It should be here in about twenty minutes." Luke told his friend, thumping him lightly on the back.

Marcus had been an _old_ friend of his from medical school, that he'd grown out of touch with after graduating. Luke had worked part time at the same hospital as Marcus, who specialized in orthopedics. His friend had pushed him for _years_, trying to get him settled into a real position at St. Joseph's. Right up until the night where Marc's own concern and curiosity had caused him to stumble blindly into Luke's apartment, at the _very_wrong time, a little over five years ago. He had inadvertently joined "the club" that night and since been integrated into the turtle's lives too. His reconstructive experience had proved to be an invaluable asset over the years, a fact that Luke was still often very grateful for.

Marcus was one of the best orthopedic surgeons in the country, and having him at his disposal to help take care of the brothers was a great weight lifted off of Luke's shoulders.

Luke showed them into the living room, just allowing them to relax while he got a couple of drinks together. He didn't entirely like the sound of his friend's cough when he returned to the room a moment later. Luke frowned a little as he handed Marcus his glass.

"Are you going to get that checked out again, or not?"

"I have Luke, it's just lingering from that bad cold last month. Everything's _under_ control." Marc assured him. His struggle with chronic asthma his whole life had left him forced to explain every little tickle that ever came over him.

"Don't you worry Luke, you know I'm on his case." April informed him with a smile.

"Yes, I'm sure you are, I just can't help asking. Are you feeling okay otherwise Marc?"

His friend glanced over at April with a secretive smile. "Never better. And _here's_ Kat!" Marcus greeted the somewhat frazzled woman as she entered the room.

"Guys, I'm so sorry." She announced apologetically. "I just messed things up again."

"What's to mess up?" April asked. "We're all here, and we'll eat soon enough. Don't be so hard on yourself."

"This _domesticated_ thing ain't all it's cracked up to be." Kat muttered.


	3. Patrol

They had been quietly watching from the shadows, following the progress of a rather shaky young woman for the last three blocks now, ever since she'd left the night club. She seemed to be slowing down even more so now, barely keeping both feet underneath her. As she swayed against a building for support, a young man darted up the block to meet her. Throwing an arm around her waist, he tried to lift her off of the sidewalk. She wasn't completely incapacitated yet, and was trying to fend him off from touching her at all.

The young man was persistant, wrapping both arms around her chest in an iron grip. Quickly he began dragging the struggling woman behind him, trying to get her into a nearby vehicle. It was then that both brothers had finally seen enough.

"Let her _go_ creep, she don't wanna go with you." Raphael said dangerously.

The man was absolutely stunned to see the two figures, materialize out of seemingly nowhere.

"No, see, I'm just takin' her home! She's drunk, she needs to get to bed." He trembled slightly.

"Sure Sparky, and the tooth fairy and Santa Claus are waiting for her there too, right?" Raphael shot back. "Why don't you hit the road before I have to get _nasty_?"

The man literally turned tail and fled, abandoning the young woman on the curb by the street. She sank to the sidewalk with a groan, closing her eyes. Raphael and Donatello approached her tentatively, discovering that she was now completely passed out. Donnie drew out his medical scanner, while Raphael pulled her back into the shadows where they could safely get a better look at her.

"Is she okay genius?"

"She's been drugged pretty heavily Raph. You had _that_ guy pegged."

"It couldn't have _been_ more obvious." His older brother informed him. "Stupid moron, thinking he could just steal her off the street. And these girls, what _possesses _them genius? They try to take their independence to some whole new level, going out alone, accepting drinks from strangers. They need to have some sense knocked into them."

"Probably not _your _style Raph." Donatello quipped with a smile. "We should probably call 911 for her, and just keep watch until they can get here."

"I'm on it Donnie, I've got 'em on speed dial."

"There are only _three_ numbers bro, what do you need them on speed dial for?"

"True, but this way I only gotta dial one digit, instead of three. You wanna guess how much time that saves me over the course of a year?"

"With the number of times you have to call 911? That would take some time to compute properly."

"While you get started on that, I'm gonna call this in."

They waited around for ten minutes, until they heard the cop car approaching. Then they swiftly made themselves scarce, holing up nearby to watch from hiding.

"Well that's_ that_." Raphael announced, fingering one of the sai at his side. "Not entirely satisfying, but all's well that ends well."

"You really wanted to let that guy have it, huh?" Donnie commented.

"He was a chicken."

"Violence is a _last _resort Raph."

"Yeah, yeah, Donnie I _know_. I just don't think the punk actually _learned_ anything. Next thing you know, he'll be right back out on the streets, preying on these girls in the clubs again."

Donnie nodded understandingly. "It's frustrating, isn't it?"

He glanced down as his phone vibrated. Leonardo.

"Hey Fearless, how are ya'll doing?"

"Not bad, we've seen a couple spots of action. Broke up a mugging in the park a few minutes ago. How are things on your end?"

"Okay. We stopped a predator for tonight, but who knows how long before he's on the prowl again?"

"Hey, we don't allow that kind of discouraged talk." Leonardo chided him. "So Mike and I were thinking about wrapping things up, maybe heading over to Chelsea. What do you think?"

"Sounds like fun. I'll talk to Raph, I'm sure he'll be down for it. We'll swing around to pick you up in any case - what entrance are you coming out of?"

"Right up by Second and Main."

"We'll see ya in a few.

* * *

They'd never made a habit of simply showing up at Luke and Kat's place, so Donnie made sure to call and verify that the coast was clear. By the time they arrived at the Brownstone, Luke had moved his Volvo around the block, so that they could pull directly into the garage right off of the alley. They popped in through the back-door, heartily greeting Marcus and April when they saw them too.

"Are we in time for the party?" Mike cracked.

"Well, the chinese is gone, but we could always order a pizza." Luke suggested.

"I could _so_ go for that." Mike replied.

"We _did _eat before we left Mikey." Leo reminded him.

"That was over two hours ago Leo, we already worked all that off. Patroling is _hungry_ work."

Luke laughed at him. "I'll get the coupons - make yourselves comfortable."

"You sure you don't mind us crashin' Doc?" Donatello asked him before the man made it out of the room.

"Are you joking Don? With the number of times I've dropped in on _you_ guys? It's my pleasure. I'll be right back."

Leonardo positioned himself nearby Kat, with clear intentions already in mind. "So do you know anything about this case that was on the news yesterday, with that big fish who got away?"

"Are you talking about Morello? No, not very much, except that it's a _big _disappointment around the Bureau. We've got some guys who'd like to get into World War 3 with the NYPD. Everyone is blaming _everybody_ else, it's not a great situation. I don't really have time to get wrapped up in it, my partner and I are leaving on a special assignment, day after tomorrow, we'll be gone a couple of weeks." Katherine told him.

"Dude, Luke must be bummed." Mike flashed a smile at her.

"He'll be fine, he's a big boy." Katherine assured him.

"They've got a couple of photos posted up around St. Joseph's." Marcus remarked. "We had some big meeting all about it yesterday afternoon. They're pretty sure there were some serious injuries that came out of the gun fight, they have our ER on alert for anything like that coming in."

"Did ya warn Luke?" Raphael smirked. The doctor rarely spent more than seven days out of a month actually working in that unit at St. Joseph's.

"They asked me to pass it along. It's hard to imagine any of 'em being stupid enough to show up." Marcus replied.

"There isn't very much information even out there." April spoke up. "Everyone knows Cartier, it seems like it would be impossible for him to go anywhere public right now. But his gangs of _men_ are always changing."

"It_ sounds _like they left town with their tails between their legs." Raphael scoffed. "As if they'd still be hanging around Manhattan after nearly getting themselves _caught_."

"Nobody ever said criminals were brilliant Raph." Leonardo remarked. "We've seen enough idiots on the streets to counter that idea."

"It's not safe to take them for granted though Fearless." Donatello said thoughtfully. "_These_ guys aren't like the random punks we run into out in the neighborhoods. They're _career_ criminals - isn't that like the worst kind?"

"The FBI hasn't abandoned the search, in any case." Katherine told them. "And even if they _are_ on the run, this kind won't stay hidden forever. Mark my words, they'll rear their ugly heads back up again, before we know it."


	4. Target

***By the end of this story, you will likely hate Jonas Vale with the fire of a thousand suns. Of all the OC's I have ever written, he is by far the most unique...and sinister.**

* * *

The only nice part about Kat being forced to leave on assignment, was that it meant Luke could usually get some uninterrupted time with her before she had to fly out. Luke and Kat had slept late into the morning, neither in any hurry to get out of bed. Now he lightly played with a strand of hair that was framing Katherine's face, as he tried to get her to wake up a little bit more.

"Mmm...just a few more minutes hon." She murmured. "Then I'll get up, I swear."

He kissed her forehead softly. "No rush. I just wanted to see those beautiful eyes again."

She smiled tolerantly, then rolled over on the mattress so that she could pin him down for a moment with a kiss of her own. Luke held her in his arms for the next few minutes, enjoying the warmth of her skin against his own.

"Are you getting hungry yet?" She asked finally. "What time is it anyway?"

"Does it even matter today?"

"I guess not. I'm just trying to figure out if we should be hungry for breakfast or lunch."

"I'd be open for either. But how about we go out Kat?"

"Are you that scared to let me back in the kitchen Luke?"

"Nah," He said quietly. "I just don't want you to waste the effort today. Let's go out, let somebody take care of _us_ for a change."

"Well twist my arm _Doc_." She said playfully, rising from underneath the covers. "I'm going to start getting ready. Why don't you pick some place while I'm in the shower?"

He met her halfway across the room, rubbing two fingers in a sensitive spot over her neck. "Want me to join you?"

"Luke, that _tickles _and you know it!"

"What would the guys at the Bureau say?" He teased. "Rough tough Katherine James is _ticklish_."

"You'd better _watch_ it doctor boy, you know good and well that I can totally whip you if I want to."

"I would heartily look forward to that." He said glibly.

She punched him in the shoulder non-too gently, and snagged her towel off the back of the door.

* * *

They'd hardly been sitting at a table at one of Luke's favorite Brunch spots in Chelsea for twenty minutes, when his cell phone vibrated. Luke glanced down to see that it was the hospital, and sighed heavily.

"What's wrong hon?" Kat asked him.

"Nothing, it's just _work_. I don't suppose I should ignore it. Sorry Kat, give me just a minute." He told her, and answered the phone a moment later. "This is Dr. Barrows. Uh huh...hello Rob. Well I'm not exactly...how many people did you try to _call_?...I'm not sure I can actually believe that number. Oh...alright, _alright_, you can count on me. I'll be there."

Luke hung up, and cast Katherine a rather guilty look.

"Tell me you _didn't_." She said reproachfully.

"They're short Kat, and they don't have anybody to fill it. I need to be at St. Joseph's around 3pm."

"Aw _Luke_...are you even gonna see me before I leave in the morning?"

"_Yes_." He said emphatically. "I'll make sure that I'm home before you have to leave, and I'll take you to the airport myself. I'm _really _sorry babe, but you know how this works. If they need me, they need me. It's the least I can do for them, what with all the flexibility that they give me." He finished.

"I know, I was just really looking forward to today." She pouted. "But you have to go that stinky hospital and save _lives_, instead of hanging out with your wife. You're so selfish Luke." Katherine joked.

"Maybe it will be a slow night, and I could make it out early." He said hopefully.

"We can cross our fingers, can't we? I suppose we do at least have time to finish lunch?"

"I don't see why not."

They lingered over the table for the next hour, hardly taking their eyes off of each other, even while they were eating. Luke had never realized that it was possible to feel this strongly about _anyone_. He gave Kat's hand a reassuring squeeze as they were finishing up.

_It really can't get much better than this, can it?_

* * *

(Six Hours Later)

Jonas Vale was _no one _to be trifled with. He had a rather attractive exterior, looking very much the part of a desirable bachelor, with the charming wit on top of it all. His dark hair bore absolutely no trace of grey or age, and a perfectly groomed goatee matched the image that he so carefully portayed. He made every effort to project the identity that he had long ago created, with a deep sense of perception of other people, and a strong foundation of patience.

Vale was not given to impulsively of any kind, not unless a situation immediately required it. His part was to study, to carefully monitor, slowly gauging the strengths and weaknesses of both "friends" and adversaries. It was through this complicated process that he had learned to manipulate and control the others around him, and it was employing these methods that had eventually inserted him firmly inside of Morello's closest circle of confidants.

Vale had been rather casually strolling through the halls of St. Joseph for almost two hours already, greeting staff warmly as if he'd known them his entire life. He chatted up the receptionist, made friends with a janitor, even aided a young girl who'd gotten separated from her mother.

Patience was the name of the game. Blend in, hunt for an opening, and then exploit it.

He had eventually made his way down toward the cafeteria, having noticed the curious fact that many of the hospital staff headed the same direction as the public, forgoing their private break areas. He got on the same elevator as several of them, smiling when a middle-aged blond nurse shyly made eye contact with him.

She was far from being very attractive - he could easily read the desperate insecurity in her eyes. A little bit of the right kind of attention would most likely get him the information that Vale so eagerly desired. He ambled off the elevator, following the group of men and women as they filtered into lines to buy food and drink. Vale sidled up behind the woman he'd made eye contact with.

"Good evening. Could I buy you a cup of coffee?" He asked her.

She seemed a little surprised and flustered, rapidly smoothing blond hair out of her eyes. "Alright." She answered with a forced shrug, indicating to Vale that she was already trying to hide her own nerves.

Vale smiled in a way that seemed to completely disarm her, and she allowed him to walk her through the line, then joined him at a table a few paces outside the cafeteria. They talked about random things for about ten minutes, ranging from the weather to a certain sporting event, as Vale carefully gauged how she was responding to him.

"I must say, I've always been impressed with you people." He remarked. "The amazing skills that you have to possess in this line of work. We see so many medical dramas portrayed in our culture, and none of them quite capture the essence of what you accomplish, do they?"

The woman flushed with pleasure at his light brush of her hand on the table.

"No, they really don't. There's no place like the emergency room. You never know _what _you're going to get coming through those doors."

"Let's say that I was to walk out on the street tonight, and get hit by a bus--"

"Oh, I would really advise against it." She quipped, and he smiled evenly. She was so comfortable with him already.

"Who's the _best _doctor in that emergency room, the one I'd definitely want by my side?" He asked playfully.

"Oh, the ER staff works as a team, the unit is comprised of so _many_ necessary technicians." She answered.

"But if I could only have _one_ of them on my team, one person to keep my fragile heart beating, who would I want Gloria?"

The woman cast an immediate glance over at a table a few feet away from them, seemingly hemming and hawing for a few seconds. Then she nodded her head slightly, in the direction of a blond haired man sitting two seats in.

"If it was me, _that's_ the guy I'd ask for. You'd be _lucky_ to get within ten feet of him though."

"Yes, why is that?"

"He's just kind of a strange bird. Parents were filthy rich, he doesn't exactly need the work, so he comes and goes pretty much as he pleases. I never really know in advance when he's going to be here. But as strange as it might sound, of all the staff I've worked with in this hospital, I haven't met anyone with a calmer head or steadier hand than Luke Barrows."

* * *

Vale excused himself a couple of minutes later, presumably to use the restroom. He fiddled with his phone as he walked, surreptitiously snapping a photo of the man Gloria had so _helpfully_ picked out for him. Then he continued on his way toward the elevator, attaching a cryptic four word message to the text along with the photo.

TARGET ACQUIRED - COMMENCE SURVEILLANCE.


	5. Taken

***Even if you read the sneak peek I included at the end of "Sacrifice", be sure you read this entire chapter. There's more included here than was in that snippet.**

* * *

Luke was _more_ than a little weary. He had stayed the extra two hours because they needed him to, regardless of the fact that he'd already been there for _twelve_. Now that the ER was finally full staffed again, he could gladly escape. He hadn't considered crashing at the hospital, even though he was already so tired. It would probably have caused him to miss his wife in the morning, something he _really_ didn't want to do with her leaving on assignment for the FBI in a few short hours. She was already bummed enough that he'd been called in to work at all.

With coffee in one hand and cell-phone in the other, Luke approached the elevator towards the parking garage. There were no other souls in sight, with the exception of a lone gentleman who had been a few paces behind him as he came out of the automatic hospital doors. He had caught up somewhat, and got onto the elevator along with Luke, nodding slightly in response to his polite smile.

Luke took that moment to touch base with Katherine, something she'd always insisted that he do no matter what time he left the hospital.

"Hi hon. Yeah, I'm just leaving_ now_, they needed me for awhile longer. No, I'm okay, just tired. " He chuckled lightly at her next statement. "I don't know if I'm too tired for _that,_ I guess you'll have to wait up for me and find out. I'm about to get off on my level. I'll grab my car, and be home after that, okay? Mm, that sounds _interesting_. I'll be there soon, don't let me miss anything." He teased lightly, hanging up just as he stepped off of the elevator.

The other man got off behind him, but Luke was no longer paying any attention to him. He walked briskly towards the Physician's parking where he'd left his Volvo, eager to get back home to his beautiful wife.

He hesitated slightly in his stride as the hair on the back of his neck seemed to stand on end, and a wave of unexplainable nervousness crashed over him. Luke started to glance over his shoulder, stopping dead in his tracks when something hard jammed into his back. He still had his cell-phone in a death-grip, as the man behind him raised his weapon to press it against the back of his skull.

"Give it here Doctor." The stranger ordered directly into his ear, and Luke surrendered the cell-phone.

"What do you want?" Luke asked with as flat a tone as possible.

"I wanna get out of here, and now that I have _you_, that can finally happen. Walk this way, if you try _anything,_ you're a dead man."

"What do you _want_?" Luke repeated more strongly than before, but allowed the gunman to guide him for the moment.

"You'll find out soon enough Barrows, it ain't up to me to spoil all the surprises."

Luke was doing some fast reasoning on his own. The man clearly knew who he _was_, and needed to get him somewhere else, which indicated the fact that he needed him _alive_. It also meant that the stranger probably wouldn't follow through on his death threat.

Luke acted quickly, so that he wouldn't have a chance to talk himself out of it. He yanked the lid off of his coffee, and in one swift motion brought his hand back swiftly over his shoulder, dashing the hot liquid into the stranger's face. He heard the man's howl of pain, but didn't wait to see how bad it was - he took off running.

The man had his cell phone, but he wasn't completely _helpless_ without it. Luke was a mere six strides away from the man before he hit the panic button on his watch, just in case he couldn't evade him. He looked around wildly as he sprinted across the garage, hoping, praying someone else was around. Gunman had walked him _past_ his own car, and he couldn't risk back-tracking now. His only thought was to find another living, breathing human being, or to just escape out of the garage entirely.

As he rounded a turn to continue down the level, a dark blue mini van suddenly pulled up directly in his path. His first thought was of relief, as he ran over to the driver's side window. It opened to reveal a dark haired gentleman with a goatee and an easy smile. "Can I help you?" The man asked.

"Yeah, ther-there's someone chasing me." Luke got out breathlessly.

"I _know_." The man said almost sympathetically. "It would have been _so_ much easier if you'd just gone along with him."

Luke fell back a few paces as van doors came open, and four more guns were extended toward him.

"Oh. You're together." He muttered. "That _figures_."

As the men startled climbing out of the van, he heard pounding footsteps coming toward him at break-neck speed.

"How very _nice_ of you to join us Mathews." Vale said calmly, but Luke's original gunman didn't share the driver's even keel.

The man launched himself at Luke, using the butt of his weapon like a club to attack him. A blow to the back of the head successfully floored him, but wasn't enough to send the doctor packing. Luke felt the stranger descending on him, and tensed as he was expecting more blows. To his _intense _surprise, the man was being dragged off of him, struggling and swearing.

"The orders were _untouched_ Mathews." Vale said in his maddeningly calm way.

"You didn't see what that bastard did to me, he--" The man started to protest openly.

"_You_ almost lost him." Vale interrupted. "There are absolutely _no_ room for liabilities on this operation Mathews."

"It wasn't my _fault_ sir, he--" This time the thug cut _himself _off, as the barrel of a silencer was pressed against his forehead.

"Your services are no longer required." Vale informed him.

"Sir please, I-I'm sorry I messed up. It won't happen again, I _swear_."

"You're right - it won't." Vale replied, and Luke swiftly turned his head away as the driver fired a single shot into his own man.

He had been present for the deaths of far too many people, but he'd never actually witnessed someone being murdered directly in front of him. The same men who'd been holding Mathews, now turned to haul Luke upright off the pavement, not letting go once they had him on his feet. Luke stoically planted his legs, so that it would be harder to physically move him. He had no doubt now that he was not getting out of this, but the more he could stall, the more time he afforded the guys to catch up with them.

"Now Dr. Barrows, if you'll be so kind, it's time that we got going." The friendly tone to Vale's voice _remained_.

Luke had no plans on going quietly, even with a gun back on his head. Untouched? What could someone possibly want with him, that would require him to remain unharmed?

"I'm not going with you." Luke said stubbornly, for _no_ other reason than trying to buy some more time.

"Doctor, we were _rather_ hoping that we could contain you without the use of very much force." Vale told him. "But if you leave us no choice..."

The speaker trailed off slowly as Luke was flanked by more men, who helped with getting a better grip on his thrashing legs. Someone firmly gagged him from behind, and he was forcibly carried to the van, deposited on the floor of the back end.

Vale had absolutely no desire to spend any more time than necessary inside of the parking garage. Killing Mathews had been for a double-edged purpose - partly to maintain the ongoing respect of the men that he commanded, and also to convince the doctor that resisting him would not be a wise thing to do. Luke had proved slightly more difficult to control than he'd originally anticipated, but then, he hadn't had proper time to study the man's habits, patterns, or behaviours,

In Vale's experience, there weren't very many people unwilling to cooperate with someone who already had a gun on their head. But this doctor had obviously perceived through Mathews' failed effort that he could afford to push his luck with them, because they needed him to remain _alive_. He made a mental note to spend some time getting to know Luke the moment they had made it out of the city, so that he could get a better handle on how to get through to him.

In the meantime, Mathews murder would unlikely go unnoticed for very long, and all his thought was bent on getting away from here, and meeting his son Derick, who was heading up the second team. The boy lacked many of the characteristics that made Vale such a formidable adversary, but he slightly made up for what he lacked in _intuition,_ with intense study of his own.

26 year old Derik was fresh out of medical school, and already deeply entrenched inside of the same circle that his father was sizing up to lead _himself_ one day. He had proved valuable already in meeting certain medical needs, but this time was different. This time required a deeper knowledge, and an experienced hand. Thus Vale had been sent to look _outside_ the safe confines of the group.

He adjusted his rear-view mirror slightly to glance into the back, even though he couldn't see Luke from where he was.

_He will do. Yes, he will do nicely_.

After exiting the garage, Vale drove around the block, pulling into a nearly abandoned parking lot.

"No dawdling." He ordered his men evenly. "Get him inside the truck, and get ready to move out."

Vale met Derik outside, over by a white Ryder moving truck.

"Did you find everything that you needed?" He asked his son.

"Yes Father, we have all the necessary supplies." Derik told him, glancing over as three men carried a struggling Luke in-between them into the back of the truck. "He's not going easy, huh?"

"He will come around. Tell Grutsky and Powell to take good care with the mini-van on the express-way, and make _sure_ they get captured on the traffic cameras. They know where their responsibility lies?"

"They've been briefed sir."

"Good - let's not waste anymore time then."


	6. Confusion

Donatello was the only one who regularly wore his watch even while sleeping, regardless of the fact that he pushed his brothers not to take theirs off. Around 5:15 AM, the tell-tale vibration drew him suddenly awake, sitting up so fast that he managed to startle Jenna awake at the same moment.

"Baby what's wrong?" She murmured. "It's _early_."

"Sorry Jen, my watch is going off." He told her, adjusting the screen so that he could see whose had been activated.

"Who is it?" She asked him, now wide awake.

"It's Luke." Donatello replied, snagging his cell phone off of the bedside table.

Jenna waited silently while he called him, hung up, and called again to no avail.

"He's not answering." Donatello told her, immediately rising from the mattress. "I gotta get on this."

"Want me to wake your brothers?"

"You'd better. I'm heading for the Lab."

* * *

Katherine had already been sitting against the headboard, waiting for Luke to get home. When a few minutes had passed without a sign of him, she immediately assumed the ringing cell-phone would be him.

"Hey Luke, what's taking you so long?" She asked with a slight whine. "I'm lonely."

"Kat, I'm _really_ sorry to bother you." Came a completely unexpected voice on the other end.

"_Donnie_? Oh...oh, that's okay, I was awake. What's going on?"

"Is Luke with you right now? Tell me he's at home."

"He's _supposed_ to be with me, but he got called in to work yesterday. He called to tell me that he was leaving the hospital, about half an hour ago."

"But he's not there yet?"

"Donatello, is something wrong? Is somebody hurt?"

"I don't know yet." He told her, trying hard to keep his tone even. "Kat, Luke set off his watch about twenty-five minutes ago, and he's not answering his phone."

The woman wrestled to get out from underneath the covers, dropping the entire comforter on the floor as she struggled to get free of it.

"Are you tracking him?" She asked anxiously, clenching her cell phone against her ear with the aid of her shoulder, as she hurried to get dressed.

"Yeah, the signal isn't stationary so...hold on. Hold on, wait a second." Donatello told her, pausing when he lost sight of it entirely. He typed rapidly, then scanned down the entire length of the screen. No, it _wasn't_ transmitting anymore.

"Donnie, _what_? Where is it heading?" Katherine demanded after a moment.

"I don't know Kat, it just disappeared on me. I'm not getting a signal off it anymore."

"Why would that happen?"

"He could have turned it off, or it could be experiencing technical problems. I've got Leo still trying to reach him, and he hasn't answered yet. The last known location I have...it was still in the vicinity of St. Joseph's. We're going to head that direction, just to be safe. It could be a big mistake, but it's not worth taking the chance." Donatello finished.

"Okay. I'm heading that direction too." Kat said breathlessly, hanging up as she pounded down the staircase.

The woman paused at the kitchen table to fish out her car keys, and in her haste, managed to drop the entire hand-bag. Mentally cursing herself, she didn't take the time to pick everything up; merely stooped down to grab the essentials. She accidentally bypassed one thing of particular importance, which had landed underneath a chair, and hurried out the back door.

* * *

"Jen, you're _not_ coming with us!" Donatello protested, as the young woman stood defiantly in his path. "It could be a false alarm, but it isn't worth the risk."

"I'm _coming_ Donatello." Jenna stated firmly. "The sun will be rising before you know it, and then what are you going to do? None of you can drive around very safely in the daylight!"

"I don't like this idea."

"I don't _care_ if you like it." She snapped forcefully. "I'm _going_, end of discussion!"

"Donnie, she's _right_," Leonardo spoke up from behind them. "Whether we like it or not, we're probably going to need someone else to take the wheel."

Donatello scowled slightly, throwing his hands up in exasperation. "You're _staying_ in the car." He informed her.

* * *

Donatello had quickly set up his laptop in the back of the van, just in case Luke's signal decided to pop back up to the surface. Leonardo, Mike and Jenna rode in the back with him, sectioned off from Raphael as he drove in the direction of St. Joseph's. Leonardo was still trying Luke's cell-phone about every five minutes, and turned to Donatello after hanging up once more.

"It's not ringing anymore Don, it just goes straight to voicemail." Leo told him.

"He's gonna be okay." Mike said hopefully. "He _has_ to be. I bet he set it off by accident."

"I hope so." Donatello said, more to himself than anyone else, and glanced down as his _own_ phone vibrated.

"Do we have anything yet genius?" Raphael asked on the other end.

"No Raph, I'm still not receiving his signal. Just keep on this course towards St. Joseph's, I don't know where else to start."

"Oh _shell_!" Raphael suddenly gasped into the mouthpiece. "Re-route us Donnie, _quick_! I think I see a sobriety check-point up ahead, we gotta get off this street!"

"What intersection did we just go through?" He asked swiftly.

"It was Broad street."

"Okay, um...right, you're going to want to take a right on Ludlow, then we can cut over to Wilson from there--"

"That'll _do _genius." Raph told him, swiftly hanging up.

* * *

When Katherine arrived at the parking garage, she was stunned to find that the NYPD had it cordoned off already. She put down her driver's side window to speak to the officer who was blocking the entrance.

"What's going on?"

"Sorry Ma'am, nothing's allowed into the garage right now, it's been locked down for the moment. You have to turn this car around."

"Are you dealing with an active crime scene?" She persisted.

"Ma'am, please back up, and turn your car around."

"You don't understand, I _need_ to get up there! My husband is missing, I'm just trying to find him."

"I told you, _nothing_ is getting in." The man replied stoically.

"I'm _with_ the FBI." She said dangerously, digging into her purse to find her badge.

"I'll need to see your identification." The officer told her, as Kat continued to search for the badge that wasn't _there. _

_Darn it, this can't be happening! Where is that thing?_

"You're not going anywhere without ID. Now shove off." The man ordered her.

Katherine struck the steering wheel out of sheer frustration, and had no choice but to back up and look for street parking.

She dashed back towards the hospital on foot, heart racing as she ran towards the first grouping of police officers that she could locate.

"Excuse me," She interrupted three of them. "I'm trying to find my husband? I talked to him as he was about to leave the hospital, that was a little over an hour ago. He never made it home."

"I'm sorry for your predicament, but we're not allowed to let anything into the garage right now." A slightly more sympathetic woman officer told her.

"Is someone up there hurt? Dead? If something's happened to my husband, I deserve to know about it!" Kat pushed her.

"We don't have the freedom to share details with the public yet Ma'am." The woman told her.

"I'm _not_ the public, I'm with the Federal Bureau of Investigation! I left home so fast that I must have misplaced my badge!"

"Ma'am, I'm sorry but..."

The woman trailed off as Katherine walked away from her, having noticed a familiar looking car pulling up to the curb. She was extraordinarily relieved to see the familiar man getting out of it.

"Director Kelley! I'm so glad you're here!" She called.

"Agent _James_? Did you get called in here? Aren't you supposed to be on a plane in three hours?" The man said in confusion.

"My husband is _missing_ sir, this is the last place that I know he was! I left in such a hurry that I didn't bring my badge, and I can't get any information from these people!"

"Alright Agent James, come with me." Kelley told her, walking the woman directly past the police line.

"What have you heard, what did they tell you on the phone?" Katherine demanded when they had walked three paces.

"We've got a dead body upstairs, and _no_, it's not your husband." He quickly filled in. "When the NYPD scanned him through their mobile system, they got a hit off of his prints. He's connected to Morello's circle, so they called us in right away. When did you talk to Luke last?"

"Just after 5. He said he was coming right home."

"And he never showed? Do you have a reason to believe something happened to him, that he didn't just stop of somewhere else?"

"I know my _husband_ Director."

* * *

Luke was at present lying on his side on the cold floor of the moving truck, trying valiantly to calm down his own heart rate. He was already sick on the irritating gag, sore from the constricting manacles that firmly bound his hands and feet. It occurred to him rather suddenly that he had not _felt_ the gentle intermittent vibration of his watch for quite a long time now. Not since they'd hurled him into the back of this stinking truck.

_I hope it didn't short out! Let's see here, I __should__ be able to reach..._

His wrists were lashed together, which meant he ought be able to get at least a finger on it. Luke struggled very quietly with his hands behind his back, not wanting to give away the fact that he was trying anything at all. After a minute of twisting his right wrist in various directions, his left hand brushed against the metal of the watchband, and he let out a quiet breath. Luke searched blindly for the panic button, depressing it a couple of times, until the reassuring vibration signaled that it had been turned back on.

* * *

"Donnie, this is_ stupid_, I don't like this." Raphael said anxiously into his cell. "There's too many cops hanging around here, I swear somebody is gonna see us."

"Alright Raph, head back out to Wilson, and we can backtrack. I just got off the phone with Marcus anyway, he's insisting that we pick him up."

"What_ for _genius?"

"I tried to argue with him Raph, but he won't listen to me. Just get turned around, he's only a couple of blocks from here. He swore he'd follow us on his own if we don't go get him."

"'Cause we really _need _another passenger." Raphael said sarcastically.

"Just _do _it Raph." Donatello ordered him, and hung up the phone.

When he glanced back down at the screen of his laptop, he noticed that he was receiving the signal from Luke's watch again.

"YES, _there_ you are!" He proclaimed so suddenly, that he succeeded in startling everyone in the back of the van. "We've got him." Donatello informed them with a grin, and picked his phone back up.

Raphael answered, clearly annoyed. "I'm goin' Donnie, I told you--"

"Shut up Raph, Luke's signal just came back!"

"That's _great_, where am I heading?"

"We're still gonna have to grab Marc. The signal from Luke's watch is moving...uh...just give me a second here! It's heading north, north on I-81. When we get Marcus, I want you to make straight for the New Jersey Turnpike, you got me?"


	7. Pursuit

Katherine was feeling rather numb at the moment, walking as if in slow motion in between cars and police officers. Director Kelley had led her to the security station on the second level, where he'd been summoned to come and review camera footage from the last hour and a half. The man hesitated in the doorway, casting her a careful glance.

"I'm going to ask you to wait out here Agent James. I'll be back in a few minutes."

"I want to go look for Luke's car at least." She said softly. "I just want to see if it's here or not."

"Do what you need to, and then come back here. I'll let you know if the video feed has pertinent information."

Katherine wasn't used to feeling this shaky around a crime scene. Normally she would be slightly detached, focused, and professional. Right now, she felt absolutely none of the above.

_Luke, what could have happened here? Where in the world __are__ you?_

Her reflection was broken by her phone going off a few seconds later.

"Donnie, _tell_ me you have something." She said mechanically.

"We _do_ Kat, his signal has popped back up on the grid, it's traveling north on I-81. We're around the block grabbing Marcus, and then we'll hit the turnpike. Have you found out anything on your end yet?"

"_No_." She said tightly. "I got inside finally, thanks to my Director. There's a dead body in here, connected to Morello's circle somehow."

"The big fish? Do they think this is connected somehow?"

"_They_ don't think anything Donnie, I don't even know that anyone believes Luke is missing yet!" She hesitated for a beat, and then continued, sounding more weary than before. "But Luke's car definitely never left, I'm staring at it right now. I should be with you guys. I should be going AFTER him!" She exploded.

"Kat, we _need_ you where you are! Nothing is ever as simple as it could be. You've _got_ to stay, and then try and get information back to us. We're following his signal, but other than that, we're traveling blind here Kat! We have no idea what kind of vehicle we're looking for, what kind of men these are, or what they could possibly _want_ from him! We need you. It doesn't matter how far we have to chase 'em. We're not going to rest until we catch up, until we find him. Do you understand me?"

"Yes." She said, her voice choking with emotion. "I trust you guys. I know if anyone can get him back in one piece...it's _you_."

* * *

"How's she doin'?" Mike asked Donnie when he hung up.

"Not good. She's upset - how could she not be?" Don answered, sounding troubled himself.

"So we're gonna get on the trail now, chase these jokers up the highway?" Mike continued.

Donatello exchanged a concerned look with Leonardo, who took a deep breath before responding himself.

"We're taking a massive risk, but we don't have a choice." Leonardo said. "If it was one of us missing, we would go without question. Luke is no different. So _darn _the torpedoes, and full speed ahead!"

* * *

Donatello was antsy to get on the open road. Raphael had stopped about five minutes ago to pick up Marcus, but to Donatello's surprise he didn't head for the Lincoln tunnel like he'd expected him to. Instead, he was driving in a completely different direction, turning in the most _random_ places. Donnie had absolutely no patience for it, and swiftly called him.

"Raph, what in the heck are you _doing_? Why are you wasting time?"

"Genius, we got an issue here." Raphael said back, with a rare note of anxiety in his tone. "We've got somebody tailin' us, he's been with us since the hospital, followed us to Marc's place. No matter where I turn, he's stayed with us."

"_Shell_, we don't have time for this! You're gonna have to lose him Raph!"

"It ain't that easy Donnie, I'm sorta afraid to do anything drastic here to set him off. He's got _cop _written all over him. The last thing we need is him puttin' an APB out on the van!"

Donatello took a very deep breath to calm himself down. "Okay. Keep trailing him around Raph, and I'll call Kat."

* * *

The woman answered on the first ring. "What's going on Don?"

"Kat, we haven't been able to get onto the turnpike yet, we have a tail. Raph thinks it could be an undercover cop."

"What kind of car? Can you see the license plate?"

"Raph said it's a Jeep Liberty, looks maybe dark green or black?" Donatello told her, and then read off the number Raphael had gotten off of it.

Katherine was seriously_ irritated _now - she knew that car without even having to search out a laptop for BMV records.

"Oh for the _love_ of--just get on the turnpike already! I'll handle him!" Katherine slapped her phone shut angrily, and then re-opened it to make the next all important phone call. She tapped her foot rapidly on the concrete as she waited for the man to answer.

"_Greg Heffernan_! Where in the _heck_ are you?!" She exclaimed without so much as a greeting.

Katherine had already called her partner while she was en route to the hospital. Her intention had been to merely inform him that she wouldn't be taking the flight out with him that morning, and he had immediately insisted that he was coming to meet her at the garage. Now instead of showing up like a good partner, he was _slowing_ down the turtle's progress!

"I'm sorry James, I got a little sidetracked." He answered. "I pulled up to the crime scene, and while I was looking for parking, I saw this van, okay? It stood out like a sore thumb, gave me a really weird feeling. When it left a couple minutes later, I followed 'em. Honestly, I think they're probably on to me, we're not exactly going anywhere fast."

"Greg, will you please just get your tail _back_ here? I need your help. Stop chasing these rabbit trails, and come make yourself _useful_!" Kat's impatience and anxiety made her extremely sharp.

"I'm sorry." He repeated, clearly admonished. "I'm turning back - where can I find you?"

"Just come to the second level, I'm heading for security central. They have some footage of whatever happened, I'm hoping the Director will let me _in_ on some of it!"

"Alright, I'm coming."

She hung up without so much as a goodbye, and immediately dialed Raphael.

"You should be losing your tail here in a matter of seconds." She informed him. "Are you headed back for the tunnel?"

"I was about to turn around. You're right Kat, he's _leavin_'. How'd you swing that so fast?"

"Easy - that was my ding-bat partner following you."

"You're yanking my chain."

"No, I'm not Raph. Hurry up and get after Luke!"

* * *

When Raphael got off with her, _he_ called Donnie in the back.

"Okay Donnie, we're in the clear. That was her _bonehead_ partner chasing us."

"Are you serious right now?"

"I couldn't _make_ that up. I'm getting us back on the right road."

"Raphael, wait. You'd better pull over, let Marc take the wheel, and get your shell in the back."

"_What_? Now that we're ready for lift off?"

"It's gonna be daylight soon bro, _you_ can't go tearing down the highway. We have to let Marc and Jenna do this part."

Rather grumpily, Raphael pulled over, and relinquished the wheel to Marcus. When he went around to the back, Jenna hopped out to move up front, to give the brothers more space.

"_Sure_, you let me do all the annoying junk." Raphael complained. "Oh, I am _so_ ready to bust some heads! How far behind _are_ we genius?"

The look in Donatello's eyes was far from comforting. "We're _way _behind them now Raph. Catching up is going to be no easy feat at this rate."

"There you go again with the negative talk." Leonardo said reproachfully. "Let's be grateful that we _have_ something to go on Donnie! They have to stop eventually, and they're bound to make some mistakes along the way."

"That's right Donnie, they are _humans_ after all." Mike cracked.

"You're lucky_ our _humans didn't hear that." Donatello said with a small smile, and then heaved a giant sigh. "Alright, here we go."


	8. Inside Information

Katherine waited impatiently outside the booth, while the men seemed to take _forever_ going over the same feed. Kelley finally came to the door, with a completely different look in his eyes than he'd had a few minutes previously.

"We don't have a tremendous amount to go on James, a few camera angles, no good views of faces." He told her slowly, then guided her into one of the chairs in the office. "But somebody _was_ taken out of here, that much was obvious. There were at least seven individuals involved, but like I said, the cameras don't have a good enough zoom to make identification. The feed was able to capture the physical act of the murder, followed by the abduction."

"Is this related to Morello somehow?" Katherine asked, as if all the wind had been suddenly knocked out of her sails.

"It's _impossible_ to say that for certain yet, but having already identified the dead man as belonging to that crew...it's hard to imagine that it isn't tied in. What is it specifically that your husband does again?"

"He's a doctor, he works in the ER." She said faintly.

Kelley held out a plastic bag for her to see, containing the remnants of a smashed cell phone.

"This was found a few paces away from the elevator, it looks like it ended up getting run over by someone. I know it's in pieces, but I don't suppose you could possibly identify it?" He asked her gently.

Katherine stared at the split facing for a moment, and the nodded. "It's Luke's, I would know it anywhere."

There was a knock at the door, and Kelley hopped over to let Greg inside too.

"James, are you okay? What's going on?" Her partner asked when he saw how pale she was.

"Luke's definitely gone, they caught it on the cameras." She told him.

Greg swore openly. "This is bull! What do we _know_?"

"Units are looking into the mini-van." Kelley answered. "A security officer who works for the National Bank reported seeing a van that fit the description, pulling out of its' lot not twenty minutes after everything went down here. They had the newer cameras, so we're working on getting footage off of them too. I need to head over there now to meet with their people."

"I'm coming with you." Kat said, immediately rising from the chair.

"No you're _not_ Agent James. This crosses the line of objectivity in a huge way - you're not getting _near _this case." Kelley informed her.

"_What_? What do you expect me to do, go home and twiddle my thumbs? My husband is in the hands of _murderers_!"

"You know my hands are tied James. If you were involved, and their defense attorneys were to get wind of it, they would have an absolute field day with us."

"I don't care about their _defense attorneys_! I can't stay out of this!" Katherine exclaimed.

"Sir, if you won't let Katherine inside, will you at least allow _me_ to work on this?" Greg quickly asked before she could say anything else.

Kelley looked between the two of them, a suspicious light gleaming in his eyes. After a few seconds hesitation, he nodded. "I'll allow it," He said gruffly. "But James, you're not to put one finger on this investigation, do you understand me?"

* * *

Katherine had driven home after being re-buffed, feeling utterly defeated. She had sent Greg a text to call her when he had any news, hoping that her partner had volunteered for the express purpose of filtering information back to her. When the doorbell rang, Kat stopped her pacing of the living room floor, and found April waiting outside.

"Oh my word Kat, what's going _on_?"

Seeing her best friend seemed to break something in Katherine, and she immediately fell into April's arms weeping. A few minutes passed before she was honestly able to form words into actual sentences for her.

"If he's really been taken by Morello's people, April, I can't stand to imagine it! I know they must want him for a reason. I _want _to believe that he's still alive, but I'm scared April! I'm so scared."

April had tears in her own eyes; she loved that doctor like he was her long lost brother. She had a sudden vision of Luke in her mind, the deep blue eyes that had once borne so much weight, that now danced whenever he was in Kat's presence. The sure air of confidence he carried around, never losing his head in the middle of the turtle's _worst_ emergencies. Even the firm hand that he extended over the "tough" brothers, never letting them get away with anything under his watch.

April trembled at the thought of him being mistreated, tortured, or otherwise harmed by someone else. She honestly felt like she could completely lose it here too, but she recognized what _Kat _was going through, and the fact that the woman badly needed a little encouragement. April reigned in as much of the emotion as she possibly could, and took both Katherine's hands in her own.

"It's not over Kat. Our guys are searching for them. They won't stop, they won't give up. And when they _catch_ them, the scum are going to wish that they'd never been born."

* * *

For forty-five minutes they'd stayed on the couch, neither woman moving or saying very much. Katherine jumped when her cell-phone rang, and was almost ecstatic to see that it was Greg.

"What do you have for me?"

"James, I'm going to try and share what I can, but you _know_ I'm risking my neck here for you. The bank's cameras got a good view of the mini-van, as well as a couple of faces. It will take some digital clean-up, but we could have a decent profile on at least three of them. They've put out an APB on the mini-van, and we actually already got a hit off of the image. Traffic cameras captured an identical van with the correct plates, traveling south on 1-81, about three hours ago."

_South? The guys said his signal was heading __north__, _Katherine thought swiftly, before Greg went on.

"The FBI is moving out in pursuit, and I'm joining the caravan James. I _know_ that this is really hard on you, and I'm sorry, believe me. I'm going to do everything in my power to help."

"What I _need_ from you is information Greg."

"And what are you going to be doing with it James? You know you can't touch this case!"

"I'm not going to be. Just do me this favor, will you please?"

He hesitated with a sigh. "You're askin' a lot here James, if Kelley finds out--"

"Luke could be _dead_ already Greg, can you put things into perspective for a minute? I'm sorry to ask you for this, but you're my only link inside!"

"Alright James, I'll do my best. Don't get _yourself_ in trouble either."

Katherine hung up with him, and immediately called Donatello.

"You did say that you were traveling north, didn't you Donnie?"

"Yes Kat, for over an hour and a half now. We still have a clear signal." He assured her.

"I just talked to my partner, and he told me that they have a confirmed sighting of the mini-van used in the abduction, traveling _south_."

Donatello didn't say anything for a couple of seconds. "I don't know what to tell you Kat, his coordinates all point _north_. This is sort of the only thing we have to go on right now. Do you _want_ us to turn around now?"

She thought intensely for a second, and then shook her head as if he could see her.

"This feels like a shell game Donnie. No, don't turn around. The FBI is chasing south, my partner's on the case with them. They have that direction already covered, even if it _is_ a decoy. I don't want to think that Luke's been separated from his watch. Keep heading north, and when Greg passes on more info, I'll let you know too."


	9. Discovered

At the next rest stop, Vale got out of the cab of the Ryder truck, and exchanged places with one of the men in the back, sending him to ride with Calhoun. He ambled through the back, greeting his son Derik before going to check on Luke himself.

"How's he been?" Vale asked him.

"Quiet. What choice does he have?" The young man smirked. "He has a bad knot from where Mathews hit him, but it didn't even break the skin. Other than that, he's perfectly intact. He didn't want me to touch him, I'll tell you that much."

"Get some rest if you can son - I'm going to have a chat with our new friend."

* * *

Luke hadn't slept a wink himself, even though he'd nearly gone 24 hours without it now. When he saw Vale approaching, he wondered if the man could tell how much he paled under this light. Most of these thugs were nothing less than the usual riff-raff he'd seen a hundred times before. Derik had irritated him with his rough probing, and Luke had flushed with anger and frustration when the young man had searched him. Apparently _bedside manner_ was a course the kid must have dropped along the way.

Vale was another story altogether from the others. When he looked into the man's eyes he couldn't see greed, malice, or even gloating. The only thing that stared back was a cold probing gaze, that seemed devoid of any true feeling or emotion whatsoever. He had killed his own man so easily back at the garage, without even really getting angry. Luke was afraid of him, but trying hard not to show it.

_Don't let him see that he's getting to you. You have to stay calm Barrows - he's just a man. And he has no idea what he's getting himself into._

Luke had a fleeting moment of anxiety, as he pictured the guys coming after him. He _wanted_ to be rescued, but the farther he was carried away from New York, the more opportunity they would have to be exposed. His finger actually brushed against the panic button on his watchband, as he seriously considered turning it off altogether. He withdrew it after a second of reflection, knowing_ full _well that they guys would still try to find him, with or without the signal.

Luke stiffened considerably as Vale bent down to his level, his skin crawling when the man put a hand on him. However, the only thing Vale did for the moment was pull him upright partially, so he would be sitting against the side of the truck, and then freed the gag from Luke's mouth.

"Hello Doctor." The man said to him, almost pleasantly. "I thought that it was time for us to get acquainted."

To his credit, Luke maintained defiant eye contact, even though he was struggling not to tremble from the feeling of Vale's hand, still lying across his shoulder. Vale peered at him intensely, noting the visible lump in the doctor's throat, yet his absolute refusal to look away from him.

_Not broken so easily, are we? _Vale thought with a little satisfaction. _I'm going to enjoy this all the more._

Luke had to bite his tongue from immediately asking questions. It would be _nice _to know what was going on, but the likelihood of Vale telling him anything useful didn't seem very great. It wasn't worth giving him the satisfaction of withholding the information from him. Vale waited a few moments for him to speak, and when Luke seemed unwilling, a small smile curled on the man's lips.

"I'm sure there are several things running through your mind right now Doctor. You needn't keep _all_ of them to yourself."

_If I tell you what I'm really thinking, you might recede the requirement of my remaining "untouched"._

Vale continued the uncomfortable stare-down, as he tried to identify the odd look in his prisoner's eye, in addition to the outright stubbornness. He was weary and frightened without doubt, yet he still contained a note of...hope?

Strange. He had seen the look in a couple of men's eyes before, but it normally didn't stand the test for more than a few minutes. They'd been fleeing New York City for over four and a half hours, and the man had somehow maintained a sense of optimism. _Very_ strange indeed. It was apparent that there was much more to this man, than what immediately met the naked eye.

* * *

Marc had been pushing the speed limit way over the edge, failing to notice when a state trooper pulled onto the highway from the on-ramp behind him. He glanced in his mirror when he heard the siren, and his heart about stopped.

"Oh shoot. Oh _shoot!"_

"Marc, how fast were you going?" Jenna asked quickly.

"I don't know, 90?"

"Pull over, and hurry and let me get behind the wheel!"

"Are you insane?"

"My Mom works for the Consulate Marc, you don't think I can get us out of this?"

He didn't argue with her, merely leaned forward as far as he could, so that she could get behind him, and then jumped over into the passenger side before the trooper could make it to the driver's side door.

* * *

"Why are we _stopping_?" Raphael demanded.

"Didn't you hear the sirens Raph? I think those were for us!" Leonardo exclaimed.

"It's just a traffic ticket." Donatello said calmly, directed towards Michelangelo's anxious glance. "Not a big deal. He couldn't search the van anyway, not without probable cause. _Nobody_ panic." He told them, as he depressed a button underneath one of the seats, to turn on the listening device that was installed up front. "I'm sure everything will be fine. Everybody just be quiet, and let's hear what the guy has to say."

* * *

"I clocked you going _87_ there young lady. I'd like to see your license and registration please."

"I'm really very sorry Officer, I was just talking to my friend, and wasn't paying attention to how fast I was going." She lied through her teeth, as she held out her hand for Marcus to pass her the registration papers that were filed under April's name. Then she reached down to the floor to where she normally kept her purse. Which wasn't there.

* * *

Vale was in very close proximity with Luke on the floor, enjoying how much it seemed to unnerve him. He placed a heavy hand on Luke's arm, for no other purpose than bothering him more. His timing proved rather unfortunate for Luke, as his watchs' intermittent vibration chose _that _moment to remind him that it was still turned on.

Vale's head immediately cocked curiously to one side as he felt the sensation, and took note of the uncontrolled widening of his prisoner's eyes. Something was _certainly _amiss.

"What was _that_?" He asked him flatly.

"N-nothing." Luke said, uttering his first syllable aloud since the garage. "I think it's shorted out, it's been doing funny things since I got slammed down."

The man's eyes actually narrowed somewhat, though the rest of his cool expression remained completely unchanged. He seized Luke by the arm, twisting his shoulder at a vicious angle.

"I don't appreciate being _lied_ to Doctor." Vale said, calmly applying the appropriate amount of pressure that should have been painful, but not enough to actually break the bone. But it also happened to be the exact shoulder that Luke had suffered a previous injury from, making the motion even worse than Vale realized. He couldn't hold in a cry of pain as the man refused to let go.

"Stolle, come here please." Vale called someone specifically. "Take that watch off of him, and take it apart for me."

"What am I looking for sir?"

"Anything out of the ordinary." Vale replied, and turned back to look at doctor, who appeared to be in agony. He released his shoulder after a couple more seconds, staring down at the man placidly as Luke breathed rapidly in and out, trembling violently.

* * *

"You don't _have_ your identification?" The trooper was asking Jenna incredulously now. Taking her strong accent into consideration, both hands went suddenly to his hips. "Ma'am, are you a legal resident of the United States?"

"My parents are American citizens!" She said indignantly. "The adoption makes _me_ one too!"

"I would be happy to accept that as a fact, if you could merely produce some shred of documentation for me. Do you _have_ a driver's license?"

* * *

"I don't like where this is _going _guys!" Raphael spoke up. "How'd _Jenna_ get behind the wheel anyway?"

"I'll tell ya why she can't give him her ID - her purse is back _here_!" Michelangelo spoke up, pointing to her handbag on the floor.

"I think we need to _move_." Leonardo said decisively, glancing at Donatello, who had yet to say another word.

He'd been stationed near the back door, fiddling with his hand-held scanner for the last couple of minutes.

"Donnie, what are you doing?" Leo asked him.

"This trooper has a dashboard camera. If I can hone into the right frequency, I could send out a signal to temporarily jam it!" He replied without looking back.

"How close are you to being able to do that?" Leonardo asked with a slight swallow.

"Um, well....just a second." He answered hurriedly. "I need to focus for a minute."

"We don't have _time_ for you to focus genius!" Raphael told him impatiently.


	10. Lost

Luke was still shaking, but no longer because of the pain in his shoulder. He was absolutely terrified of what was about to happen, when these goons located the tracking device inside of his watch. He thought of Katherine in that second, imagined the golden amber gaze that still captured him, every time she gave him one of her famous looks.

_I love you, I love you Kat. I'm sorry I got myself into this, I'm sorry--_

His thought process was broken by Stolle's voice, urging Vale to join him where he was working under the beam of a bigger flashlight.

"What can you tell me about it?"

"It wasn't commercially made." The man told him. "No serial number, no identifying mark of any kind that a manufacturer has to use. Other than that, there's nothing special about it, until you get inside."

Vale ducked down beside his tech expert on the blanket, and Stolle handed over his pocket magnifier for him to use.

"Do you see this tiny mechanism sir? It appears to be some kind of bug. When I scanned it a minute ago, it returned a signal coming off of it."

"What kind of signal?"

"It looks like the same sort of technology as a GPS locater, only this little baby is more complex than any I've ever seen before."

"Are you telling me he has been transmitting a signal that someone could ostensibly _track_, for the last several hours?"

"Yes sir, I believe he has." Stolle said, casting a dark glare in Luke's direction. "I found the button that activates it I think, at least it reproduced the same vibrating motion you told me that you felt."

Vale did something then, that _none_ of the men in the back of truck expected in the least. He_ laughed _sharply as he ambled back over to Luke, who had managed to struggle himself into the farthest corner that he could reach.

"_Bravo_ Doctor, you _are_ a resourceful one!" Vale proclaimed. "But it's a very good thing for _you_ that we found it now. If we'd past the point of no return, I would have had to dispose of you immediately, and start from scratch."

The man bent down to his level, taking Luke's chin firmly in both hands. "I don't know _who_ you were counting on to rescue you Dr. Barrows, but you may as well _accept_ the fact that you're not going anywhere. I'll be back to see you soon Luke."

Vale got back to his feet, stopping by Derik again on his way out. "Take a look at his shoulder for me - that seemed to hurt him more than it really ought have." He told him, as carelessly as if describing a squashed bug, and then looked at Stolle. "_Destroy_ it completely." He finished.

Luke pressed hard against the side of the truck as Vale left, and he was subjected to eight pairs of extremely angry eyes in the semi darkness around him. He tensed, waiting for someone to pounce, to start to tear him limb from limb. Yet no one approached him, except for Derik once more. Luke rolled his eyes heavenward as the young man tugged at his sleeve, ripping it entirely so that he could get a look at his injured shoulder under his flashlight. Derik noticed the surgical scarring almost immediately.

"You've had issues with this arm before." He commented, as if he'd just made the biggest discovery since penicillin.

"I had surgery on it years ago - just get your hands _off _of it!" Luke shot back, trying to jerk out of the young man's grasp.

"Is it _debilitating _Luke?" Derik asked, trying to adopt the same emotionless tone that was so characteristic of his father. It didn't work for him, his gloating air came through loud and clear.

"It was_ fine _until your father tried to pull it out of the socket!" Luke snarled angrily.

Derik purposefully leveled firm pressure against his shoulder, pinning him down hard against the floor.

"You're really quite _fortunate_ that my father didn't kill you the moment he found that beacon Luke. I wouldn't press my luck right now if_ I _were you." He finished with a threatening whisper, directly into Luke's ear.

With one last cruel twist, Derik let go of him, and plastered the gag back over his mouth again. Hot tears of frustration leaped to Luke's eyes, as he stared at a fixed point on the ceiling to try and block out the angry gazes around him. The truck had started moving again, and he starting to accept that he probably wasn't going to get out of this alive.

* * *

"The name you're telling me doesn't even match the woman who's the registered owner of this vehicle!" The trooper said sharply to Jenna.

"Sir, I'm just asking for a moment of your patience. My mother is--"

"Enough, I want both of you out of the car this instant. I suppose you don't have identification either?" He demanded of Marcus sarcastically.

"No sir, I have it right here."

The officer yanked the card out of his hand, studying it for several seconds, before shaking his head at Jenna.

"I'm going to need you to come with me Ma'am, while I try to sort out exactly what is going on here."

"You can't take her." Marcus protested. "She wasn't even driving! It was me, I'm the one at fault."

Jenna glared at him. He wasn't helping any matters here.

"Sir, if you would just allow me to make a phone call, it could be sorted out so much faster." She told him evenly.

"I've heard enough out of you for the moment!" He told her. "I'm going to need access to your vehicle."

"What _for_? You don't have the right!" Marcus exclaimed.

"I have probable cause to ask for an impound order to be issued. If you don't allow me to proceed with the search willingly, that's exactly what I will do. You can either sit in my car while I wait an hour or more for approval, or you can let me conduct the search now. If you have nothing to hide, why not just get it over with?"

Jenna's mind was racing as she caught Marc's eye for a moment. He glanced once towards the back of the van, and she nodded almost imperceptably. With a forced groan she swung into action, collapsing suddenly against the side of the van, and startling the officer severely. As he dropped to the side of the road beside her, Marcus made a mad dash for the back doors.

"She needs her medication!" He yelled, to keep the trooper where he was with her.

The man instantly fingered his radio as she strained with serious difficulty, as if she was having trouble breathing. He started to call for an ambulance, as Marcus found the back doors unlatched, not entirely closed. He glanced inside quickly, releasing a deep breath when the guys were nowhere in sight. Then he spied Jenna's purse, and leaped inside to retrieve it.

He returned to them, as the officer was already talking to dispatch.

"Honey, I got your inhaler." He said with appropriate concern to her unfocused gaze, winking slightly to signal that everything was alright.

She faked using the inhaler without properly spraying the medication, pantomiming the action she'd seen Marcus use a number of times for himself. Then Marcus turned a severe look on the trooper.

"And I have her identification for you! Take it now and go make your darn calls!"

"EMS is on the way. Why couldn't she simply give it to me to begin with?"

"She didn't realize she left her purse in the back, and you forced her into panic mode with your questioning! Did you expect her to be thinking clearly? Go get on your little computer, and be prepared to eat crow! And cancel that EMS call, we don't _need_ it! Her medication will get her airway under control."

As the man disappeared, Jenna let out a deep breath of her own.

"What happened back there?" She asked quietly.

"They weren't there Jenna, they must have caught wind that it wasn't going well. That was _brilliant, _you should go into acting."

"You weren't so bad yourself _Honey_." She said pointedly, having a hard time holding back a laugh.

The clearly shaken state trooper returned about ten minutes later.

"I'm very sorry for your trouble folks. I canceled that emergency call like you asked me to, and you're free to go. I think she'd be better off not driving though, are you capable of handling the vehicle sir?"

"Of _course_ I am." Marcus said haughtily.

"Please watch the posted speed limit, and keep your identification on you at all times." The Officer finished, and practically sprinted back to his patrol car. He was off down the road, before they'd even gotten back in the van.

"You're going to have to thank your Mom again when we get home. I'm sorry Jenna, that was all my fault."

"How was it your fault that I made you switch places, 'cause I thought I could talk our way out of this?"

"If you'd had your ID, we would have been fine."

"This has to rank up there as the stupidest thing I've ever done." Jenna muttered, glancing over when her cell vibrated.

"_Donnie_? Where are you guys?"

"We headed for the hills. Well, not literally, we're actually quite close by. Are you alright? Are we in the clear?"

"We're clear. Get your shells back down here so we can get moving."

* * *

"Well_ that _was fun," Mike remarked as they climbed back into the van. "If I'd known that we were going for the 100 meter dash, I woulda brought my running shoes."

"Did you tell 'em to watch their speed genius? I don't wanna go through that again." Raphael said severely, not amused by Mike in the slightest.

"They're just anxious to catch up," Leonardo defended them. "We _all_ are. It was an accident, and we're all fine."

Leonardo glanced over at Donnie, who had moved back behind his laptop. He was squinting at the screen in a slightly odd fashion for a few seconds, and then his fingers flew nimbly across the keys.

"_No_." Donatello said in quiet disbelief. "No, this _can't _be happening." He continued, louder this time.

"What's wrong Donnie?" Leo asked, coming to sit by him just as the van started rolling again.

"It's gone again Leo. I've got _no_ signal!"

"It came back _before_ Donnie." Mike spoke up. "It'll turn back up, won't it?"

"I don't know, I don't have a clue what's going on! But we can't move forward like this, we've got to get stopped somewhere, give me chance to try a few things."

"You can't do them _while _we're driving?" Raphael demanded.

"Raph, don't you _get_ it? This is our shot! There's no telling where these people are headed, they could literally pull off _anywhere_! If we keep going forward blindly, we risk missing them entirely!"

"Donnie, don't panic. It came back before." Leonardo tried to calm him down.

"That guarantees nothing Fearless."


	11. Numb

*** For those of you unfamiliar with my other fics, you may be wondering why there has been no mention of Master Splinter up to this point. He actually passed away, about two-thirds of the way through Sacrifice.**

* * *

Marcus had pulled off the highway at the following exit, stopping in the parking lot of a big chain store. He and Jenna needed to pick up supplies for their now _extended_ road-trip anyway, and at the very least it gave them a chance to do that.

Three hours had passed since they'd stopped, and Leonardo concern was growing with intensity. Not simply over the fact that Luke's signal didn't seem to be recoverable, but over the way that Donatello had completely crumbled. The glazed look in his dark brown eyes was vacant, almost as if he didn't see a single thing in front of him. He hadn't uttered a word in over forty minutes, and he looked as if every ounce of hope had been drained right out of him.

_Luke's important to __all __of us...but he and Donnie have always been extremely close. How are we supposed to get anywhere with him acting like this? What would Sensei say to him? _

Leonardo's thought trailed off slightly, as he pictured his father's calm assurance, and never failing wisdom. What could he possibly pull from those memories with him, that would actually get through to Donatello right _now_?

The sandwiches that Marcus and Jenna had brought back for the brothers had long ago been consumed, with the exception of Donatello's.

"Genius, will you _eat_ something already?" Raphael asked him, a little less gruff than he normally would have been.

Donatello's glance flicked over to look at him, but he said nothing in response.

"You can't quit eatin' every time you get upset." Raphael pushed him. "You know exactly what--" He cut himself off suddenly, before Luke's name could leave his tongue.

Leonardo came to Donatello's side at once. He didn't know what to say, but that didn't stop him from plunging ahead.

"Donnie, this _isn't _helping. Do you hear me? We're _all_ feeling it right now, but you can't shut down on us! We have to take some kind of action, we can't just sit here until the end of time."

"What exactly would you propose that we _do_ Fearless?" Donatello asked, much more sharply than he usually gave vent to. "I mean, _besides_ calling Kat to inform her that I managed to lose her husband." He added more softly.

"Donnie, this isn't your fault!" Michelangelo exclaimed indignantly.

"Fault is irrelevant - it's _my_ technology that's failing here."

In an explosion of rare anger, Mike grabbed him by the shoulders, literally shaking him.

"Would you STOP feeling guilty long enough to get your head back on straight?! This _isn't_ the end of the road!"

Donatello's shocked expression shifted almost immediately, and he sat up a little further on the seat. "I'm sorry." He said quietly. "Let me just...think for a minute here."

"_First, _you're gonna eat something - then you'll be able to get the proper brain power." Mike said a little more calmly, but no less firm.

As Donatello moved to obey him, Raphael made a slightly scoffing sound that only Leonardo heard.

"I coulda done_ that_." He remarked.

"I _doubt _that it would have had the same effect Raph." Leonardo told him with a half smile.

* * *

Donatello had his signature probing "thinking" look again, before he'd even finished his sandwich.

Leonardo came over to sit by him again, feeling a little hopeful. "What is it Donnie?"

"I've just been sitting here, wondering about the information that the FBI has. I haven't had very much faith in them, particularly because we _know_ they've been traveling the opposite direction that they should be. But they still have access to all kinds of evidence that we don't...and just because _they_ don't know what to do with it, doesn't mean _we_ won't. In any case, I don't know where else to turn Leo. We've got to try and get all the information out of Kat's partner that we possibly can."

* * *

Katherine was at home - she'd barely moved from the living room since she'd gotten there. April and Jenna's mother Victoria were there now too, trying to do things for her. She was grateful to them, but part of her also really wanted to be left alone. She got a little excited when her phone rang, and it was one of the guys.

"Talk to me Leo."

"Hi Kat." He sounded a little tired. "We have a situation - are you sitting down?"

"I don't like that question Leonardo. Tell me what's going on right now."

"Luke's signal has disappeared, and it doesn't seem like we're going to be getting it back this time."

Katherine had the distinct sensation that all of the air had been suddenly sucked out of the room, as she still clenched her phone to her ear inside a balled fist.

"Donnie's done everything that he can technically speaking, without getting a response out of it. I know this is difficult to hear Kat, and I'm sorry. I hate to bother you at all, _especially_ now but...we need help. We need help bad Katherine - we can't move forward without it."

Katherine swallowed back a sob, refusing to be overcome. "You need me to get Greg on the phone."

"Yeah Kat, we really do. We're stuck inside this holding pattern, until we've got _something_ else to go on."

"Alright, I'm on it."

"Kat--"

"Leonardo, don't. I've got it together. I'll call you back." She told him, more strongly than she really felt. Then she hung up to call her partner.

Greg answered on the third ring, "Hang on a minute baby." He said into the earpiece, and came back to the phone roughly two minutes later.

"Okay Katherine, now I can talk."

"Who are you calling _baby_?"

"I'm sorry James, I had to make_ some _excuse to leave the table. What's going on?"

"I'm in a desperate spot here Greg, and you're the only person I have to turn to. I need information, _all_ the evidence you have to go on with this case."

Greg hesitated for a few seconds. "James, I _cannot_ keep doing this. They're going to catch on that I'm feeding information to you."

"Greg, I'm being crushed up against a brick wall here. Please, _please_ tell me what you know!"

He had never heard such desperation in her voice before. He also knew very well something was going on, that she wasn't telling him. He had suspected that she had to be somehow acting on the information that he gave her, and had been purposefully vague on some points, leaving others out altogether. In his mind's eye he could just _see _his partner trying to charge down the road herself, to catch these idiots single-handedly.

"James, I can't. Henceforth, I am a vending machine."

"You're a _what_?"

"You heard me. You're not getting anything _out_, unless you put something _in_ first. That's the deal. You wanna come clean about what you're really doing right this second, _then_ we can talk about what I know. If I'm going to risk my job _and_ prison time, I deserve to know what's actually going on!"

"Greg I...I'll call you back." She said, sounding more flustered than he'd ever heard her before.

* * *

"He actually _called_ himself that?" Leonardo said incredulously.

"Yes Leo, he's absolutely serious too. If I don't tell him how I'm using the information, he's not going to give it to me anymore! What am I supposed to do here?"

Leonardo paused for a beat to glance at his brothers, and then turned back to the phone.

"Tell him whatever you have to Kat. I see no reason why our _physiology_ should be forced to come up, but other than that...whatever you think will get him yapping his trap again. We really _are_ screwed if he won't help us."

"Okay Leonardo." Kat said a little flatly. "I'll get him back on the phone."


	12. Run for it

After only about an hour of feeling like he would have to accept the inevitable, Luke had a strange surge of defiance rise back up within him.

_You're not dead __yet__ Barrows. Are you just going to roll over, without even putting up a fight? The guys have been in plenty of bad spots, and still lived to tell about it. I owe it to Kat, and to them to at least try. Even if I die attempting it, that has to be better than giving up outright._

The moving truck had been still, pulled off to the side of the highway for the last few minutes. Vale was up front in the cab of the truck with Derik now, supposedly trying to get some real sleep according to the bozos chatting it up in the back. Luke didn't know what time it was, but could see tiny fragments of light, filtering in through the small holes in the trucks' exterior.

It would be better to attempt anything after dark, but he couldn't risk waiting. Who knew how far they still had to travel, or what would happen to him once they reached their destination? No, it was now or _never_.

Luke shuffled uncomfortably, drawing his legs up sharply so that he could strike his bound ankles against the side of the truck.

"Hey!" One of the man yelled, instantly rising to silence him. "Stop that!"

Luke repeated the action, while making a muffled sound behind the gag.

The man bent over him threateningly, but understood that he was trying to say something. He yanked his head back fiercely, removing the gag from his mouth. "What is it? Be quick or I'll bash your head in!"

"I need the bathroom." He answered.

The man laughed. "Yeah, sure Doc." He patronized.

"I'm serious! Do you want it to smell worse back here than it already does?"

One of the other men joined the first with a distasteful look. "He's right Calhoun. You'd better just take him."

"Who put _you _in charge Dalfour? Vale will have my _head_ if I release him!"

"You have a gun, don't you idiot? Just get it done quick, and the man will never even know he was gone."

* * *

Luke was actually quite stunned that it had been so easy. He cast a slightly wistful glance towards his leather shoulder bag in the corner, while Calhoun was setting him free. He hated having to leave Donnie's inventions behind with these people, but it was going to be a necessary sacrifice.

Calhoun guided him out into the daylight, his limbs stiff from being constrained for so long. He had free use of his arms and legs, but Calhoun's steady hand was still on his back, and the gun was not far from his head. Luke didn't really have a plan, he'd only asked them to let him out of the truck on a whim.

Calhoun led him into the foliage a short distance from the highway, not wanting passing cars to even catch a random glance of Luke. Despite the busy highway behind them, they were on the verge of wilderness, the trees seemingly stretching for miles around them. A sudden brain storm seized Luke as he was ducking under a tree branch. He grabbed ahold it instead, pushing it forward as hard he could without physically breaking the limb off, then dropped straight to the earth and let the wood fly.

It caught the unsuspecting Calhoun squarely in the jaw, and as he stumbled with a string of curse words, Luke drove his heel forcefully into the man's forehead. He didn't wait to see if the man had been stunned or not, he simply dashed away from him, making for the incline as fast as his still struggling legs could carry him.

_I need to get up to the road, but I can't risk running back into those guys! I have to lose 'em first, then I can get help!_

Adrenaline had kicked in to aid him by now, as he simply tried to keep his feet steady over the loose rocks and tree roots on the way down.

_Geesh, that's just I need, to fall head first down a ravine! Keep your balance Barrows!_

He grabbed ahold of anything in his pathway, from branches to actual tree trunks, trying to help keep his balance on the descent as he rampaged through the brush. Presently, he heard the sound of water, signifying that a river was probably nearby. He latched onto the sound, and headed straight for it.

* * *

Meanwhile, on the side of the highway, one of Vale's men had quickly roused him.

"Sir, Calhoun lost the doctor! He walked him out into the brush to relieve himself, and he got away from him somehow! He was headed down the ravine!"

"And into the river no doubt." Vale said, still sounding extraordinarily calm under the circumstances. He had his binoculars out now, as he hung slightly off the side of the truck to get a better vision of the surrounding country. "There's a crossing, less than a quarter of a mile upstream. The river's almost at flood stage, he wouldn't have an easy time getting through it. He's a scared rabbit right now, my gut says he'll try it anyway.

Make sure you're waiting on the other side, take Williams and Dalfour, they're the fastest. If you see him in serious trouble, pull him out of the water - otherwise, just let him come to you."

Derik and Stolle both nodded at him, and as they turned to go, Vale called them back for a brief second.

"Derik, when you have Luke safely contained, do me a favor and take _care_ of Calhoun."

"With _pleasure_ Father."

* * *

Running _upstream_ was the last thing on Luke's agenda. The current already looked strong from his stand-point, and he knew that the deeper water could conceal an even faster moving monster. He wasn't going to be able to swim straight across it, that much was obvious. He could hear shouts resounding from somewhere nearby, and it spurred him on even faster to keep looking for a way over. He was finding more deterrents than anything else, racing past a rocky portion that had "death trap" written all over it.

Luke continued alongside the swift-flowing river, spying in the distance what looked like a downed tree. Unfortunately it happened to be on the _opposite_ side of the river from where he stood, and only barely hung about half the width of the basin. Without any further options to quickly consider, he forced himself to plunge directly into the cold water.

With firm intention, he managed to get himself onto his back, and didn't bother even _trying _to fight with the current. Heart racing, he made specific mental directives to the rest of his body.

_Stay loose. Head up! Don't fight it - let the current work for you. Now breathe deep!_

Luke couldn't avoid being swamped completely a couple of times, but managed to force himself to stay calm, to hold his breath, and to break the surface. When he raised his head for the fourth time, he saw the tree coming at him - or rather, _he _was being swept towards the tree with tremendous force. He swiftly braced for the impact, and latched onto the dead bark for all he was worth.

Breathing hard, he flattened against the wood, and slowly started inching his way back toward the sand bar on the opposite side of the bank. The current was still pounding him, but he had an ally with him now. He was very winded by the time he reached the bank, collapsing to his knees for a moment out of necessity.

_Can't stay here. Move your tail Barrows!_

Luke forced his legs to cooperate underneath him. Still slightly shaky, he stumbled back into the foliage again, taking an instant to try and get his bearings back. Luke saw a path and decided to make for it, just about to proceed with his mad dash. Before he could make it five steps, he ran straight into two pairs of arms, that had been camped behind a massive pine tree waiting for him.

"_Hiya_ Doc. Nice to see you!" One of the men taunted as they lifted him physically off the ground, only to hurl him face-first to the earth again.

He cried out in true frustration, as both of his arms were ruthlessly restrained, forced back into manacles. The putrid gag came back over his face, and he was roughly deposited back on his feet, their hands never once leaving his shoulders.

Williams unclipped the radio from his side. "Derik? Yeah, we _got_ him."

"Bring him back to the crossing." Was the abrupt reply.

_Crossing? Of __course__ there's a crossing! _Luke thought bitterly, his legs feeling extremely weak as he was shoved forward to start walking.

* * *

By the time they made it back to where Vale's men had originally crossed the river, the rest of the crew were already waiting for them, with only Vale being noticeably absent. Fear shook Luke to his inner core when he saw the men's faces. The kid gloves were _sure_ to come off now. But no one touched him immediately.

Derik motioned for everyone to cross back over, keeping a close bead on Calhoun himself. He made quite certain that they were the last two to board the crossing. With everyone else on the other side, and the two of them about half-way, Derik stopped sharply, and turned a smirk in Calhoun's direction.

"My father requested that I extend his full displeasure towards you Calhoun." The young man said. He lacked the cool confidence, but the man _still_ wasn't prepared to have a gun shoved in his face.

"N-no, please, you can't..." Calhoun stammered.

Derik didn't say another word to him, merely unloaded a shot directly between the man's eyes, and shoved his body off the edge into the rushing water below. Luke hadn't wanted to watch it now anymore than he had the first, but for some reason this time, he was completely unable to tear himself away from the callous murder.

Luke met the 26 year old's haughty gaze, as he joined the rest of them on the other side.

"_You'll_ get no better if you try that again." The man seethed angrily. "I think my _father_ would like a word with you."

_I bet he would_, was Luke's only terrified thought at that moment.

* * *

Now soaking wet and mud covered, Luke was hurled into the back of the moving truck, with more force than the goons had yet used on him. He was unable to move from his bound position on his stomach, startling a little when he felt Vale's hand graze his back.

"Welcome back Doctor. Did you have a nice swim?" The man asked, his tone remaining as even as before. With a swift motion, he turned Luke over onto his back, so he could look the man in the eyes.

"It has come to my attention that you may have _overestimated_ your value to me Luke." Vale said, leveling a foot onto his throat to completely cut off the man's air supply. "_Twice_ now you have tried to escape us, so I thought that I would make myself perfectly clear on the matter. The third time is _not_ the charm my friend. Should you attempt to get away again, I _will_ kill you myself. Is that quite understood?"

Luke couldn't actually nod with Vale's pressure bearing down on him, just barely managing to move his chin for the man.

"Very good Doctor. Get some sleep - you're going to _need_ it."


	13. Connections

Katherine stared at the phone in her hand for what felt like eternity, trying to gather her thoughts and decide what exactly she was going to say to Greg. While she was still pondering, she heard April let herself back into the front door. The woman had left about an hour earlier, going underground to pick up Tiger from the Turtle's den. She walked into the living room with the cat carrier in hand.

"Have you heard from the guys yet?" April asked.

"I talked to them alright." Katherine said morosely. "They've lost Luke's signal."

April sat down with a jolt. "What are they going to do?"

"The ball's in_ my _court now. I have to get my partner to open up with more information - but it requires giving him some in return. Leonardo told me to do whatever I have to, I just...I don't even know where to_ start_."

* * *

Greg was back behind the wheel of his Jeep by the time his phone rang again, with Katherine on the other end.

"Do you have a few minutes to talk Greg? I have a rather long story for you."

"Is this where the truth comes in James?"

"Yes, I just need you to listen to me."

"I've got the time, I'm on the open road, and I'm all ears."

"To explain things properly, I have to go back in time about three years Greg, so bear with me. Back to the night that the United Nations building was attacked. I forged relationships inside there, that have permanently changed my life."

"Does this have something to do with those men you doubled back to help?"

"I tried to save _them_, and they ended up saving me in return. But it didn't end there that night Greg. They were the ones who inadvertently introduced me to Luke, who in turn sort of helped me reconnect with them, after I tracked _him_ down. Luke's been friends with them for years, he acts as sort of medical support for the four brothers."

"James, I'm confused here. What do these guys have to do with what's happening now? And why haven't you ever told me about them?"

"I'm getting there Greg, have patience with me. You should remember Thanksgiving of that year, when Terelli got the drop on Luke and I?"

"That's not something I could actually forget Katherine."

"When I told everyone that I didn't know who saved us that night, I was _lying_ Greg. My friends from the UN saved our lives _that_ time as well."

"What's the big secret here James? Why couldn't you just tell us about them?"

"I did it to protect them, because they're in a very special line of work. They operate under the guise of vigilantes, acting secretly against violent crime throughout the city. It is absolutely_ imperative _that they're identities remain hidden. If they were to be compromised, their lives would be in serious jeopardy."

"Do you know how strange you sound right now James? You're telling me you've been harboring these guys for _years_, standing by while they take the law into their own hands? You've _never_ been down for citizens doing that."

"These guys are different, and I haven't been _harboring_ them." She said with serious irritation now.

"How exactly is it different James? We've sworn to uphold the law, to act according to it's statutes. Why are you hiding them? Is it just out of gratitude?"

"_Excuse _me 'Mr. Self Righteous', but you have no idea the true circumstances surrounding them! They put their lives on the line time and time again, without any kind of thanks or recognition. They save lives, they catch bad people, and they turn them over to the police! What's more, they're also my friends, and happen to be bravest guys I've ever known! As for this moment, I'm including _you _in that equation."

"Alright, alright Katherine. I'm sorry. I'm just really confused here, this doesn't sound like you."

"I'm sorry to point this out, but you don't really know me very well anymore Greg. It isn't your fault, I realize that _I'm_ the one who pulled out of the station."

"You've changed James, but I thought it was simply relating to your relationship with Luke. Why are you bringing up your friends to me now?"

"Because they're chasing after him, or at least they're _trying_ to. Greg, I had knowledge that he was in danger already, before I ever got to the garage. Being friends with career vigilantes has it's...advantages. Luke wears a watch, that contains a tracking device, which is activated by a panic button."

"A tracking device? Your husband is wearing a _tracking_ device? James, how could you fail to _mention_ that?"

"It's complicated Greg! More complicated than you can imagine. I don't want to attempt to explain all my reasoning to you right now. What you need to know is that you're chasing the wrong rabbit."

"What on earth do you mean?"

"I mean that _my_ guys have been following the tracker's progress _north _up 1-81, since early this morning. Up until it cut out a few hours ago."

Greg swore three times, before he could actually form intelligible words. "Are you for real right now? We're chasing the wrong..." He cut himself off suddenly, as the obvious occurred to him. "James, that mini-van wasn't the only vehicle in the bank's parking lot." He said urgently. "There was a truck, a white Ryder moving van. The camera's captured it leaving, a couple of minutes after the mini-van did!"

He had to pause to compose himself from swearing again. "We aren't anywhere _close_ to catching them, are we? And now you're telling me that _your_ people can't follow Luke anymore either?"

"Hence my desperate phone call to you. Greg honestly, any help you can give us is better than nothing at all. They're absolutely stuck."

"These vigilantes, you really trust them? You'd put Luke's life in their hands?"

"I would put _anyone's_ life in their hands. They may not operate under every law conceivable, but they're the _good_ guys Greg."

"I swear to God James, I can't _believe _I'm saying this...but I'll do everything I can to help them. The thing is, it would probably be better for me to talk to them directly, since _they're_ the ones physically in position to act."

"I've been thinking the same thing actually. I'll get back on the phone with them right now...you can expect a phone call in a few minutes."

* * *

He hung up with Katherine, and about twenty minutes later, his cell rang under a blocked number.

"Agent Heffernan." An unfamiliar voice addressed him. "I've been put in touch with you through Katherine...I understand we have some things to discuss."

"The first being, who in the world are you?" Greg couldn't help asking.

"My name is Donatello, and that's all you need to know for now."

"Like _heck_ it is! I agreed to do this, but I'm not walking in here completely blind. James told me that you're vigilantes. Just _what_ exactly does that entail?"

"We intervene under a wide umbrella of criminal activity, going on throughout the city of New York. As Katherine shared with you, we were also present inside the UN, after the terrorist attack. Nothing is particularly off limits as far as the violent crime in concerned. Wherever we're given the opportunity to act, we respond with force, never more than necessary."

"Why do you do it? Are you truly operating under your _own_ jurisdiction, or do you report to some kind of a higher authority?"

The caller actually laughed out loud. "No, _nothing_ like that...they would ask far too many questions."

"Then what is this? You just run around the city, rescuing civilians, beating up bad guys, _what_, out of the goodness of your hearts?"

"That's an accurate enough way to put it. We don't get anything out of this, except for the satisfaction of helping innocent people, and getting a few bad ones off of the street."

Greg paused for a long moment. "Katherine trusts you, and I trust her judgement. I _do_ have information for you, but first I need to know if you have access to an e-mail address."

"I'm running under wireless internet access, so yes, I can receive e-mail."

"The next place we stop, I'll get on my laptop and send you some photos to start with. There isn't a lot to go on. We have profile of three of the suspects, along with security images of both of the vehicles involved. I've been informed by James that we're currently chasing the decoy, which happens to be the mini-van. That means that you're probably supposed to be looking for a white moving truck. I'll get this all out to you, just as soon as is feasible. I can't say that this is going to _end_ well for me. Our e-mail system is under constant surveillance, my superiors are going to figure out that I've been releasing this stuff."

"Not _necessarily_." The caller calmly informed him. "I have something that could help you, I think. I'm going to prepare a patch for you, and I want you to download it from me before you e-mail anything my direction."

"What _exactly_ would I be downloading?"

"It's a cloaking software, designed to integrate into a computer's hard drive. It's so seamless that it's not remotely detectable, once it's been properly installed. You should feel privileged Agent - I've never released this technology to a single other living soul."


	14. Necessities

Luke was even more uncomfortable now than before, shivering violently through sopping wet clothes. After watching a few minutes of it, Derik rather reluctantly brought him a thin blanket.

"_Me_, I'm content to let you freeze." The young man told him. "But my father still prefers that you remain as healthy as possible. For now."

After Derik left him alone, Luke reasoned with himself that depriving himself from rest probably wasn't a wise thing to do. He stared up at the ceiling of the moving truck, trying to calm racing thoughts down enough to actually get some sleep. His mind was drifting slowly back toward the guys, wondering what they were doing that very moment.

With a sad smile, his thoughts trailed back to a couple of weeks ago. There was nothing significant about it, it was just something to momentarily distract him from the situation at hand.

****

"No, not that one Luke, it's the_ needle nose _pliers. You know, the one that almost looks like it has a beak?" Donatello patiently explained to his friend.

"You know, for a smart guy, you grab the wrong tool an awful lot Doc." Raphael cracked from his vantage point of Luke and Donnie.

"I didn't go to school to be a _mechanic _Raph. I'm doing the best I can here." Luke said a little indignantly.

"Don't listen to him Doc, you're doing _fine_. You had the first two correct." Donnie assured him.

"Why don't _you _come over here Raph, you bein' so much better at this?" Luke asked him.

"It's more funny to watch you."

"Lay _off _Raph." Donatello said sharply. "If you don't wanna help, why don't you just get lost?"

"If you need my hands _that_ bad genius, all you gotta do is say so." Raphael smirked, looking over Donatello's shoulder at the engine of the van.

"Sure you're using the right pliers there Donnie?" He teased him.

"Raph, you are _getting_ on my last nerve."

"I'm just sayin', the 90 degree pair might serve ya better in gettin' the spark plug out."

Donatello stared at the tool in his hand for a moment, and then nodded. "You're probably right. Can you drop the sarcasm long enough to go and get them for me?"

Luke's irritation with Raphael melted away, as he watched the two brothers tinker under the hood of the van. They never failed to get into at least one heated argument on an extended project, but it still served as one of the best bonding opportunities for the two brothers, who were probably the greatest polar opposites out of all of them.

Raphael simply enjoyed the fact that he was able to converse with Donatello in fairly technical terms, without feeling like he had to learn Chinese. On the other hand, Donatello enjoyed participating in a physical activity with Raphael that actually didn't pose a real threat to any body parts.

After retrieving the right tool for Donnie, Raphael cast Luke a bit of an apologetic glance in the corner.

"Aw, c'mere Doc, I'll explain it to you again."

"Why no thank you Raphael, I think I've made enough of an idiot of myself for now."

"I was just teasin' you Doc, I'm sorry. It's kind of a cool experience to feel like I actually might know more about something than _you_ do. Almost makes me feel _smart."_

"Raph, you _are_ smart." Luke replied at once.

"Nah, you two are the brainiacs. I prefer to lead with my fists."

"Y'know Raph, it is possible to be strong _and_ smart." Donatello called from over by the engine.

"For _you _maybe. I'm not any good at multi-tasking, remember?"

"You seem to do just fine taking on five _people _at the same time." Luke said dryly. "That qualifies as multi-tasking in _my _book. Alright Raph, one more time. The monkey wrench does _what_ exactly?"

* * *

_They'll be alright. Between having Donatello and Marcus, they'll get through on the medical side. They survived for a long time without me, and their world won't come to an end if I'm not in it._

Luke didn't feel like continuing along that train of thought, finally relinquishing to a troubled sleep. He'd always possessed the rare talent of being able to shut out all noises, except for the truly necessary ones. When he had spent part of his freshman year of college in a dorm, his roommate had quickly learned that he could make all the noise he wanted to in the morning. Luke would never wake up, until his friend called his name, or his alarm went off.

That talent served him well enough to get a couple of hours of uninterrupted rest, until someone's arm shook him lightly awake. Luke opened his eyes, and stared at the unwelcome sight that Vale portayed. The man helped him sit up again, removed the gag from his mouth.

"We're getting closer Doctor, and I thought that it was time to discuss your true purpose. I find it slightly interesting that you haven't even asked."

"Figured you'd get around to it eventually." Luke mumbled wearily, unconsciously casting a glance back over at his bag against the far wall.

Vale noticed his gaze, and moved to retrieve the leather shoulder bag. "Does this hold some value to you Doctor?"

Luke eyed him stoically, and didn't say a word.

"If it's worthless, I see no reason to keep it around here. Shall I dispose of it for you?"

"_No_!" Luke said, Vale enjoying his swift reaction.

Donnie's software on the medical scanner was well-protected from a security stand-point, but that didn't mean he wanted that Stolle character to start playing with it.

"Please...some of that stuff is irreplaceable." Luke continued, showing Vale the first sign of vulnerability, to the man's intense delight.

"What's so important Luke? And why would I be inclined to let you keep any of it?"

The man wasn't going to be swayed by any emotional or moral reasoning, so Luke thought of the most _rational _explanation that could come to mind.

"There are a couple of pieces of unique medical equipment in that bag - and they would probably help me treat _whoever_ it is you've kidnapped me for." Luke replied.

Vale smiled slightly. "So you've figured it out, have you?"

"It wasn't that big of a leap. At first I thought you could possibly be after money, but you never took me near an ATM or made any demands. I don't know what else you could possibly want from me, if not my medical skills. The fact that you wanted me _relatively_ unharmed, further cements the idea that you want me to perform a certain function."

"That's very astute Luke. It might surprise you to learn how many people walk around on this earth, not even using the common sense that should be our birthright. I'm pleased to know that you are not one of them."

Vale drew his bag down onto the floor, rifling through papers and folders, until he found the pieces that Luke had been referring to.

"This is called 'Show & Tell' Doctor. Explain to me what these items do, and perhaps I won't destroy them."

"The mask in your right hand is called an oxi - it's a variant on the age old oxygen mask, only this particular apparatus runs tank-less, doesn't have to be re-filled or replaced. It won't take the place of say a respirator or ventilator, that is, it won't breathe _for _you. It's purpose lies in delivering concentrated oxygen support to a floundering airway.

The machine in your left hand is a medical scanner, along the lines of next generation technology. It measures vital activity, but more amazingly, it produces body scans less intrusively, and more clearly than any machine currently on the market." Luke said, hardly pausing to take a breath.

"Hm. Well I suppose I can hold onto your toys for now, and you might have a chance to use them before you know it."

"Is this patient dying?" Luke asked suddenly.

"I'm told he is partially stabilized, but not likely to stay that way without further medical support. You will see him with your own eyes, before the night is over."

* * *

The next time that the truck stopped, Luke's legs were released so that he could walk, but his arms remained bound behind his back. Dalfour pressed the gag back over his face, before helping lift him down into the nearly empty parking lot. Luke looked around swiftly at his surroundings. There was a wooded lot and what looked like a barn on the edge of the property line. A steep incline led up to another public building, resembling what looked like some combination of a bar or restaurant.

"C'mon Doc, time to go." Williams said roughly, yanking him towards one of the two vehicles parked by their moving truck. Before he'd shut the door behind Luke, the man had a chance to hear Vale talking to Derik.

"Don't get too far behind us. I want you back there _tonight."_

"We'll keep things brief Father."

Half of Vale's men climbed into the same van that Luke had been placed in - and he noted that the rest of them were heading back for the Ryder truck.

"Cleaning duty is the pits, ain't it?" Stolle called out the window to the men on the outside, causing raucous laughter to resound inside.

_Cleaning duty? They're going to dump that truck - and we're switching to yet another vehicle? These guys are relentless._

* * *

Derik took his sweet time, watching the rest of the men sweep the truck clean of evidence. He glanced at his watch as they were finishing up, nodding in satisfaction. "Not bad, you made good time. I think that calls for at least a couple quick drinks." He announced, to grinning faces all around.

* * *

Luke's heart beat faster as the van left the city limits, traversing what felt like a myriad of winding roads. The darkness made it impossible to see very much, not that it mattered. He couldn't begin to place where he was anyway. About forty minutes outside the town they'd pulled through, the van pulled up to a large residence, vaguely resembling a log cabin.

He held his breath as he scanned the grounds, taking note of surveillance cameras at every turn. This place was wired to the _hilt_.

_Who __are__ these people?_ He couldn't help wondering, as he was directed up the porch. Luke was not altogether thrilled to be greeted by what looked like a couple more armed guards, directly inside the door of the house.

Vale took charge of him at that moment, scooting him right past a bank of computers, set off of the first room.

_Something to do with security no doubt._

He was lead through an open Common area, and then down toward another hallway. Without so much as a word, Vale took him to the first door on the right, glancing inside to address someone.

"We're here sir. The doctor will see you now." Vale finished with an actual hint of humor, and pulled Luke into the room.

The man hadn't know what to expect walking into the room, but seeing someone familiar certainly wasn't it.

Cartier Morello.


	15. Clues from the Past

After making contact with Greg, Donatello realized that there wasn't anything they could do for the moment, except try to find somewhere to hunker down. He'd looked up a local free-standing motel on the internet, that contained an outside access point that they could back the van directly up to. They would still stand the risk of someone possibly coming to the room, but he couldn't work well in these conditions, and no one was resting either.

They waited for darkness to fall, before Marcus went to check in at the front office, and then came back to drive them around the building. With Jenna as a firm lookout/distraction, they hustled inside out of the way. Donatello immediately started setting up his computer and wireless printer, then logged into his e-mail to see if Greg had been able to deliver the images yet.

He was happy to see the mail at the very least, and directed the pictures to print out. Michelangelo came to sit on the edge of the bed, across from where he was working at the desk.

"Do you think this Greg is an okay dude?" Mike asked him.

"He _seems_ to be on the level Mike. Kat's the one that knows him...and he's all we've got anyway. _Whatever_ the consequences, we just have to either make a go at this, or give up."

"I ain't of the mind to give up on Doc Donnie." Mike said seriously, and Donatello reached out a hand to pat his shoulder.

"Neither am I Mikey."

* * *

Later that night, Donatello was _attempting_ to get some sleep, finding it hard to settle down. He was facing the wall, trying not to move lest he disturb the sleeping Jenna beside him. At least he _thought_ she was asleep, until he felt her hand lightly tug on the back of his mask.

"Donnie." She whispered.

"Hm?" He answered without much enthusiasm, not turning over.

"Stop shutting me out." She commanded softly, and he finally turned to look at her.

"I'm sorry Jen - I can't _stand_ this. I would rather be back inside of the UN, running for my life from engulfing flames, than lying here in the dark doing _nothing_. It's driving me out of my mind."

"If you don't get some real rest, you won't be able to _use_ that mind."

"I'm _trying_ Jen."

"Let me help then." She encouraged gently, entwining her hand through one of his. She rolled over to kiss him, then rested her head against his shoulder. "I love you Donnie, and I'm _here_, okay?"

He breathed in the familiar fragrance of her shampoo, resting his other arm lightly around her.

"I love you too. I'm...I'm glad you're here. We couldn't _do_ this without you and Marc."

Jenna started to whisper something else, when Donatello's phone suddenly vibrated on the nightstand. She snatched for it unsuccessfully once, waking up the entire room as she ran into the lamp in the darkness.

"Who is it Jen?" Donatello asked in his normal voice, since they were all rousing anyway.

"I don't recognize the number. Wait, would that be Greg?"

Donatello took the phone from her, and looked at the screen. "Yeah, that's him!" Swiftly he opened it before it could quit ringing. "Agent, can you give me a second?" He requested.

He got out of the bed, waving off his rising brothers.

"I'm just going to take this in the bathroom. Go back to sleep, I'll tell you if anything important comes up."

Donnie hurried inside the small bathroom, flipping on the light after shutting the door behind him.

"Okay, I'm here Agent Heffernan. What's up?"

"I'm sorry that I couldn't get back to you sooner. I sprung for my own hotel room tonight, so I could research in privacy _and _safely get ahold of you."

"I appreciate the gesture. Do you have something, is that why you're calling me?" He asked rather hopefully.

"I _might_. I've been running through the FBI's crime databases for hours, filing and cross-checking through all of the information that we have on Cartier, and everything pertaining to his wherebouts within the last ten years. When the narrow search didn't turn up anything that coincides with their northerly track, I broadened it through a larger search engine, simply started looking up _Morello_, rather than Cartier specifically.

It was then that I started getting all of these hits on old cases, involving his_ father _Antoine. Crime was a family affair - his father ran the 'company' for most of his life...actually served a prison sentence, between the seventies and early nineties. He was released in '91, went straight back to the underworld, _big_ surprise there right? Then he was killed in a shoot-out with the FBI, in late 1997. That was when the _present _Morello became head of the circle."

"Interesting history...does it have a point?" Donatello asked.

"There were several letters, intercepted in 1990, about six months before Antoine was going to be released from prison. I started skimming through the communications, and one in particular stood out to me. It's a very romantic letter, sort of over the top lingo, including graphic descriptions that I'm not even comfortable repeating out loud."

"Why did it stand out to you Agent?"

"Because men like the Morellos' can't stand to be viewed as extremely sentimental creatures. It sort of ruins their image as violent blood-thirsty killers. I had a feeling that the letter could be some sort of a coded message - I've been pouring over it for the last hour, until something stood out to me. In the middle of the letter, he describes wanting to return to the community where he first met the love of his life.

Out of curiosity, I looked it up on a map of the state of New York...and it falls under a bearing that their northerly route could be taking them. It's a real rural town called Hillsboro, absolutely tiny place. I plugged the name of the community into the database along _with _Morello's name, and just got another hit off of a prison testimonial.

The story goes that old man Morello had a place somewhere up in that neck of the woods, built back in the sixties. I know that it isn't very much to go on, but as of this moment, that's what I've got for you."

Donatello had been holding his breath for over a minute, and now slowly let it out. "It's a _direction_ Agent, somewhere to jump off of. Thank you."

"What's your plan of action? You just gonna run up to Hillsboro, start knocking on doors?" Greg snorted.

"No, that would take too long. What we need to do is find the County Recorder, see if we can get a copy of the housing deed, or any kind of record of Morello's residence."

"It's going to be hard to get a warrent issued, without probable cause on my end Donatello."

It was Donnie's turn to laugh. "I'm not waiting on a _warrant _Agent Heffernan, that's not how we do things."

"Then what do you intend to do when you get there?"

"Are you certain you want to be responsible for the answer to that question? I appreciate your help Agent, more than you can possibly understand. But you know that my brothers and I are not law enforcement officers, and we sometimes have to bend or break laws in order to get things done."

"I've been bending and breaking laws all _day_ to help you. Just tell me that you're not going to kill anyone."

"That's not our way Heffernan." Donatello said with clear annoyance. "We've been taught to respect life, and value it more highly than anything else. You needn't worry about whether or not we intend to hurt anyone. Every ounce of force is being saved up for when we find the scum who took Luke."


	16. House Arrest

Luke had only been given about forty minutes to get a true idea of Cartier's condition. He learned nothing about the man personally in that time, he seemed dazed, on the verge of being incoherent. Cartier only had two bullet wounds, the first of which had only grazed his shoulder, the other remained buried in his right hip.

Luke had found signs of serious infection in the wound tracks, in addition to some other curious symptoms that he couldn't immediately decipher - and Vale wasn't giving him the time to do it. Though the injuries certainly required treatment, they failed to completely explain Cartier's decreased mental awareness.

"What kind of drugs has he been receiving?" Luke asked Vale.

"Only small doses of a sedative, which I am assured is helping him rest more comfortably. He suffers from an old back injury, and this escapade has caused it to flair up again." Vale explained. "I think it's time that we got you changed Doctor."

"Now? You don't want me to start treating him? What did you _bring_ me here for?"

"You're hardly sanitary at this moment, are you Doctor? You will be returned to this room shortly. Now follow me."

* * *

Luke was led to a back-bedroom, slightly surprised when Vale pointed him to an attached bathroom.

"Go get cleaned up Doctor. There will be a gentleman placed inside your room, should you require _assistance_ of any kind."

_You mean he's here to break my knee-caps if I try anything, _Luke thought ruefully, but he wasn't about to turn down the desperately needed shower.

Vale seemed to be in no rush, so Luke took his good old time washing up. The warm water wasn't able to completely eliminate the pain from his muscles, sore from several hours of the constant tension. Not that he wasn't happy to at least be _free_ to move, away from the prison of that moving truck.

Luke changed in the bathroom with certain distaste, wondering where _else_ these borrowed clothes had been. Strike that - he didn't _want_ to know. When he left the bathroom, gunman was waiting for him, sitting placidly on the bed.

_I've traded one prison for another. This one's got a better view, but how long am I going to be staying here on death row?_

The man rose when he saw him, heading for the door that led back to the hallway.

"Mr. Vale, sir? He's ready." He heard him say.

_Ready for what? Am I going back to get to work on Morello, or not? Geesh, these guys are weird._

Vale didn't enter the room alone - his tech expert Stolle was with him, carrying a laptop under one arm, and some kind of device under the other. Vale turned to acknowledge the guard with a slight smile.

"You may wait outside now." He dismissed him, and nodded at Luke. "Why don't you sit down Doctor? I trust you're feeling better now."

_As good as somebody can feel who's been kidnapped, dragged to some remote location, and nearly drowned all in one day._

Luke sat down on the edge of the bed, drawn to watching Stolle as he set up his laptop on the dresser.

"You can see with your own eyes that we are not without _enforcement _on the property Luke." Vale started slowly. "However, considering your track record of misguided _suicide _attempts, I feel it necessary to introduce another effective means of security. Are you ready Stolle?"

The man nodded, and came back over to them with the ring-shaped device he had brought into the room with him.

"Put your leg up on the side here." Stolle ordered Luke. "We're gonna try this on for size."

"What is this, like house arrest?" Luke muttered under his breath.

"This device _would _allow us to track your movement Dr. Barrows, but it is honestly designed to do so much more than that." Vale told him. "You are a man who appreciates technology. This particular item is meant to act as a deterrent to you, and in the worst case scenario, to _incapacitate _you. But I'll let Stolle explain."

Stolle finished installing the device around Luke's ankle so that it fit tightly, but not quite enough to cut off circulation.

"Every outside door, every window in this house has been outfitted with special sensors Doc." Stolle said as he rose back to his feet. "And the band you're now wearing is programmed to _interact_ with said sensors, in such a fashion that you would not wish to _attempt_ to exit them. It's wired to deliver a charge to your body, ranging from a mild shock, to something much more overpowering - even a swift _demise_ if the power was turned up completely.

We control the stun settings through our own computers directly, but even in our absence, the shock sensors will go off should you attempt to enter a restricted zone. Don't _bother_ trying to get it off. It has a built in tamper-proof mechanism, that will you cause you plenty more harm should you try to disable it. Without the proper security codes, it will not disengage period."

"I've asked Stolle to prepare a demonstration for you Luke, so you have a notion of exactly how the mechanism operates." Vale said casually, and Luke instantly stiffened as the man returned to his laptop.

Stolle typed something rapidly, and then looked over at Luke coolly. "The test will commence in five, four, three, two, _one_."

His countdown gave Luke just enough time to get very nervous. His knuckles gripped the sides of the mattress firmly, as the mild shock started at the base of his leg, and proceeded through the rest of his muscles with lightning speed. It ended just as quickly as it had started, but still left him feeling just a bit shaky.

"That was the _lowest _setting Doctor, not entirely pleasant, yes? That particular voltage was only for demonstration purposes, a warning so to speak. The next time it goes off, I believe you would find the level quite more difficult to tolerate. I wouldn't recommend trying it out." Stolle said frankly.

* * *

The next few hours were a blur. Luke was taken back to Cartier, arriving to find that Derik was already in the room too.

"Hello Luke. Come to earn your keep?" Derik's smile was from ear to ear.

_Yes, because __everyone__ forced into medical slavery expects to be paid._

Luke noticed that Derik was preparing an injection, and stepped over to see more closely what he was going to give Morello.

"Diprivan? Why are you giving him an anesthetic?" Luke asked.

"You weren't brought here to ask questions Luke. He's been suffering for hours while we were en route, I am merely relieving him of it."

"You _do _realize how dangerous it is to use, if it's not given in proper doses or time lapses? It has to be carefully monitored even _inside_ a hospital setting."

"One would almost think that you actually care about this man Doctor." Derik replied sarcastically.

* * *

Vale arrived a couple minutes later, come to watch the two of them work together. He could clearly see Luke's discomfort and barely veiled _disgust _with being forced to have Derik on his sleeve, but he still pressed forward with the treatment. When Vale offered Luke back his medical scanner, the doctor was also obviously surprised.

"It is a tool of your trade Doctor - I do not mind if you use it. Just keep him stable, get the infection under control. Your life is bound to his for the time present. You are only useful to me as long as you are serving a purpose Doctor."

* * *

It was nearly 5 in the morning, before Luke was escorted back to the same bedroom as before.

"Get some real sleep Doctor - and I'll be back in a few hours." Vale told him.

_Can't wait._

Luke could hear someone pacing outside his door on a constant basis. He stared up the ceiling above him, pondering over the last few hours.

_Why do I feel more confused now that I know what's going on, than when I didn't know anything at all? Something's not right in this house. Something is not right with that man_, Luke thought bitterly of Vale. _I always feel like he's hiding so much more than he lets on to anyone else. Do the others just not see it? Choose to ignore it?_

Luke rolled over with a huff, closing his eyes tightly.

_Guys, I hope you don't kill yourselves trying to find me. I'd sooner just want to be left to die on my own, than see anything happen to you._

* * *

Luke was awakened about five hours later, and allowed to have something to eat, which he especially appreciated. He wasn't too keen on being surrounded by a roomful of true thugs by the definition of the word, but he hadn't eaten since long before leaving the hospital. Right now the trade-off of having to be in their presence was worth it to him.

He had been returned to his post with Cartier directly after, and spent the hours that remained of the afternoon mostly just watching over him. The man was receiving proper medication and fluids now, simply to keep him hydrated. Luke had watched with growing curiosity as Derik continued to sedate the man over the course of the day. He knew that Cartier would have to _keep_ receiving the drug for now, as it wasn't safe to simply discontinue the use of it. He would need to be slowly weaned off to reduce the risks of complications.

That evening he and Derik went in to remove the bullet that remained in his leg, the minor procedure not shaking Luke's confidence one iota. He'd been performing this type of mini-operation outside of hospital walls for _years_.

Vale had watched once more, with keen interest. Luke hated the way the man's eyes bored into him. He did his best to simply ignore him and pretend that he wasn't there. But no matter what move he made, he couldn't shake those eyes.

* * *

Leading into the second full day of his imprisonment in the cabin, Luke had started trying to get a better feel for the dwelling whenever he was given opportunity to venture into the open areas. Meals were usually the only time it had been allowed as of yet, and Luke had started taking mental notes of the men, trying to discern how many actually were staying there. Not that it mattered. Whether there were twenty men or two hundred, he was truly stuck.

It was around 3pm in the afternoon - none of these men ate on a true schedule, and Luke wasn't inclined to refuse food at any point that it was offered. He was sitting on the edge of a chair now, pushed back a few feet from a table-full of men bantering over a game of poker. Luke had finished eating long ago, and was simply waiting for someone to direct him now.

"This is why I told you to follow behind us _directly_." He heard Vale saying behind him, from back farther in the kitchen.

"It's Carter's fault Father - he's the one who gave his number to that ridiculous bar-tender. So what if they end up being to able to trace the truck to him? Let him burn for it!" Derik replied.

"We don't need the unnessary attention Derik. It should simply have been destroyed two days ago. We will have to remedy that situation tonight."


	17. Caught

* Take a DEEP breath and hang on - this train is about to derail.

* * *

"Mom, honestly you don't need to be worried about it. Do you think that the guys would let us do anything that was truly dangerous?"

"Of course not Jen, but I still don't understand the true purpose of you going in there at _all_." Victoria said slightly reproachfully.

"Because it's something that we can_ try _Mom. Marcus and I have been cooped up for days behind the wheel of this van, we've got to get out and move a little. The bar is a _public _place, and we're going to be together. We're just trying to meet some locals, find out if anyone's seen or heard anything about these guys. You know what the say about how alcohol works."

"Loose lips sink ships?" Victoria asked a little impishly.

"That wasn't what I would have said, but it works. We're going to be fine, and it gives us something to do while Donnie is breaking into the County Recorder's office."

"I'm just wondering what Micheal would have to say about your involvement."

"Don't bring up Dad, you're not going to_ guilt _me out of this. I'll call you later when we get finished - in the meantime, _stop_ worrying."

* * *

"I still don't understand why Raph can go with you, and I can't!" Michelangelo was complaining at that very moment.

"'Cause I spoke up first shell-head." Raphael said a little snidely. "Donnie needs somebody to be on the look-out while _he's_ searching."

"Leonardo gets to drop off Jenna and Marcus, you guys get to go inside...what does that leave _me_ doing?" Mike persisted.

"I'm sorry Mike - it's just not _necessary_ for everyone to go in there." Donatello told him. "Hopefully, we won't be that long. The alarm should be easy enough to deactivate after dark, and I'll try to fly through the material. Just rest up, okay? We'll be back in action before you know it."

* * *

Later on that night, Leonardo pulled the van up short of the tavern's entrance, casting Jenna a sidelong glance as he put it into park.

"Alright. Don't you two separate in there."

"We won't Leo. Do you want us to call you when we're finished, or do we want to set a certain time?"

"Um..." Leonardo hesitated as he glanced over the parking lot, suddenly noticing that it continued down slope to an additional area. "You know what Jenna? Why don't you and Marcus just _keep_ the van? The Recorder's office is only about two miles from here. I can walk that easy, and I need the exercise after being stuck in the back of this thing anyway. That way, when you're ready, it's ready. I'll just take it down the hill, put it in the other lot, so that it's not in so much of the public eye."

"You sure you'll be alright out in the open?"

"Yeah Jenna, positive. I've gotten through a lot more crowded places than _this_ sleepy town."

He let Jenna and Marcus get out right where he was stopped, and hesitated for a moment before putting the van back in drive. The broken clasp of his watch had been irritating him for hours, and now it was going to come _off. _He let the watchband fall onto the passenger seat, rubbing his wrist where skin had been rubbed nearly raw.

Then he headed down the incline, not noticing that the lot wasn't truly abandoned until he got near the bottom. It was only then that he saw the other vehicle, on the far end of the lot. He had to do a swift double-take, not entirely certain that he wasn't seeing things.

Leonardo immediately braked, and started rifiling through the visor, where Donnie had stashed extra copies of the photos Greg had sent him. He glanced back and forth between the photo and the truck, immediately wishing for a closer look. He pulled over into a parking spot and climbed out of the van, starting across the darkened lot. He half expected the thing to disappear into thin air, like a mirage for someone who was dying of thirst.

He slowly came out of the shadows, circling the Ryder truck. The license plate was different, but they would likely have wanted to change the tags out anyway. He started searching for any consistencies that he could find in common with photograph. He noted the spider webs running across the doors, indicating that it had been abandoned for at least a couple of days.

_What good will it do, even if it is the right truck? These goons are long gone now. Still...if they __were __here, they might have slipped up, left some evidence behind. It's worth a shot to look for. I want to be sure before I go calling Donnie or something, getting everybody's hopes up. It could easily be a coincidence. One moving truck in a remote bar off the beaten path doesn't mean---_

Leonardo was cut off mid-thought, by the sound of footsteps nearby. The fact that he was _completely_ exposed struck him immediately, and he dived behind the side of the vehicle, edging as close to it as he could manage. He heard voices now too. He mentally cursed himself, and started searching for some kind of escape route.

It wasn't going to be possible to get away completely unseen now, but he was going to have to make a break for it regardless. He had made two swift strides in the direction of the trees, before hearing a distinct click that stopped him in his tracks. Leonardo glanced up slowly to his right, and saw a gun focused on his head.

"Hello." What seemed like an almost friendly smile greeted him. "What have we here?"

Leonardo said nothing to the man, cautiously eyeing the trees in the distance again, whole body tensing to spring.

"By all means, if you'd like to _die,_ take another step." The man offered, and Leonardo met his gaze for the first time.

Cruel and calculating - there was no doubt in his mind that this man would pull the trigger on him. Inwardly he wanted to rage, but on the outside, he maintained cool eye contact.

"Gentlemen." The human called suddenly. "Don't be so rude. We have a guest."

At once, seven others emerged from around the side, drawing guns when they saw that the speaker had his out already.

_Perfect. More guns, just what I needed._

Leonardo gazed around the circle of weapons for a moment, startled to feel that he recognized at least _two_ of these men from the photos. Vale had never taken his eyes off of him, or the way that he was now observing the others.

"What are you doing here?" The man asked Leonardo simply. "What are you _looking_ for?"

Leonardo shook his head slightly, indicating a complete refusal to speak to him.

"You don't _know_ what you're doing?" The man said with an icy tone. "Perhaps we could help refresh your memory."

He nodded at the men in the circle, and they unexpectedly put their guns away. Vale had been studying the stranger's proportions, even the very defensive stance he had fallen into, and his curiosity is what pushed him forward now. With a snap of two fingers, the attack commenced.

Leonardo ducked under a meaty fist, catching the man immediately by the arm. He flung him back against the truck with surprising force, and then turned to face the next two, who were approaching him simultaneously. As they each tried to capture one of his arms, he only shook his head.

_You have got to be kidding me._

The line drive from his right hand sent one hard to the pavement, and he rammed his knee into the unprotected stomach of his other adversary. With the guns off of him, his only intention was to try and flee again, but he still had obstacles standing in his path. The other men hesitated for a beat, seeing how easily he'd dispatched the others. Leonardo cast a gaze back over at Vale, noting something completely different within his eyes and smile now, somehow more unsettling. He might have confused the look with a proud father, adoring his son's achievement.

_This is a game to him. It's almost like he wants me to beat up his boys - but __why__?_

"My friend, your freedom stands behind these gentlemen. If you want it, you're going to have to _take_ it." Vale told him.

_Doable_, Leonardo thought, noticing that the younger man at Vale's side had not yet budged a single inch towards him.

_He's up to something - but I'm not backing down without trying._

The other three men seemed to be trying to create an impenetrable wall for him to get through. Leonardo only smirked slightly - he could get through those three with both hands tied behind his back. As he got closer to them, their own nerves seemed to kick in, and they broke formation, each taking their turn in trying to turn him aside.

Leonardo was moving more quickly now, only wanting the clear path to escape. He had hardly drop-kicked the third man, when he heard a sharp snapping sound, and felt something vaguely like prongs bury into his shoulder. In the second that he turned back to look at Vale, the man activated his weapon, sending several thousand volts of electricity into him.

His entire body seized up at once through the shock, every muscle contracting in agonizing pain for what felt like an eternity. He was helpless to move, to fight, he couldn't remotely budge from the position that he was trapped in. When the current stopped, the world might as well as still been spinning. With a painful gasp he crashed to the pavement, and knew nothing more.

Derik dashed over him, startled when he touched the shell he had _not_ been expecting.

"Father he's...it...it seems to be a _part _of him!" Derik stammered. "This thing, it ain't human!"

"Is it _alive_?" Vale asked mildly, not seeming the least bit shaken by the news.

Derik however was trembling slightly, as he bent over the plastron. "He's breathing - it's a little strained. I feel a heart-beat. Do you want me to finish him off?"

"No." Vale said, lightly pushing Derik out of his way. He bent over Leonardo, drawn to what was clearly a photograph creased inside his belt. He pulled it out, staring at it at length while his men started rousing slightly.

"What is it Father?"

Vale held it up to Derik, revealing the security image of the truck.

"He was_ looking_ for us?" Derik said incredulously.

"Look at the time and date signature son. He's been_ tracking _us, all the way out of New York." Vale told him.

"But...but that's not possible, is it? There was nothing following us, we didn't leave a trail on the open road!"

"Nothing is impossible Derik...until you realize that, you'll always be a step behind your enemy. Are you forgetting that the doctor was_ broadcasting _our location for the first few hours of that drive?"

"But you shut it off! How could he find us? How did he know?"

Vale shrugged his shoulders slightly. "I can't answer that. But let's get him up, make sure he's restrained well. Can't afford for him to accidentally get loose, now can we?"

"But Father, given the circumstances, the fact that he was able to find us all the way out here, don't you rather think we ought kill him _now_?"

"No Derik, that is precisely the reason that I _want _him alive." Vale said patiently, then continuing with a dangerous undertone. "Dead creatures tell no tales."


	18. Trapped

Michelangelo had been trying to contact Leonardo for the last fifteen minutes, without making a single connection. Rather irritated by now, he slapped his phone shut, and stood upright from the crouched position he'd been in for the last several minutes.

_Don and Raph inside, Leo is God __know's__ where, and I'm just sittin' here in the dark? I don't think so._

He opened the phone again, and called Jenna this time. She answered quickly, and he dived right in.

"You haven't seen Leo, have you?"

"From inside the bar Mikey? I sure _hope_ I can't see him. He dropped us and the van off, said he would be walking back. _You_ haven't seen him yet? That was at _least _forty minutes ago."

"I know it was! He's not here, and his phone just rings and rings."

"Have you talked to Donnie or Raph?"

"I don't want to bug 'em while they're digging. I figured I would just poke around a bit myself."

"Mikey..."

"Relax Jen, I know what I'm doing. I'll stay out of sight."

* * *

After Mike hung up with her, he decided the best course of action would be to head back towards the bar, and work his way out from there. He made his way silently through the darkness, avoiding streetlights and the stray cars wherever he saw them coming. Heck, compared to New York City, sneaking through _this_ rural town was a complete joke.

When he reached the bar, he didn't see the van, and wondered if Leonardo had taken it somewhere else. That is _until_ he noticed that the parking lot continued down the hill away from the tavern, to a more secluded area below. He caught sight of the van from the top, and trotted quickly toward it. Mike clapped his phone shut for what was surely the thirtieth time, and looked around at his surroundings. The van was parked nearby, but not fifty feet away was _another_ vehicle, that seemed too ghostly to actually be real. A white Ryder moving truck.

Swallowing hard, he couldn't help but stare for a moment, rooted to his spot.

_Weird. This is __really__ weird. Dang it Leo, where are you?_

Mike ran to their van first, opening up the back doors to make sure Leonardo hadn't paused to get some sleep. The back was empty, and there was certainly nothing up front. His gaze drifted back toward the other vehicle, and he held his breath for a moment.

_That can't actually be __the__ truck, can it?_

Heart slightly pounding, he approached the truck with phone in hand again.

_Did you see this Leo? What are you doing out here? __Dagone it__, just answer your phone!_

Mike was startled to hear what sounded like Leonardo's ring tone, coming from nearby. He scrambled around the side of the truck, even more surprised to find the back end wide open. He hit Leo's number again, and unmistakeably heard it coming from inside.

Heart pounding even harder, he hoisted himself up into the back of it, holding his cell-phone out like a flashlight, for what sparse glow the facing provided. He felt his way through slowly, hardly able to keep his breathing under control. Mike was almost all the way inside, when he caught sight of _something_, an indistinct bundle on the floor.

Mike hurried towards it, a gasp escaping him when he discovered that it was_ Leonardo_. His older brother was firmly manacled and gagged, completely unresponsive when he touched his shoulder.

"Leo?" He said with quiet urgency. "Bro, c'mon,_ wake up_!"

Michelangelo startled upright a second later, when a tremendous banging sound indicated that the back doors had been slammed shut. Seconds later, light bulbs popped on over his head, dazzling his eyes for a moment. When he was able to _see_, there were two men standing only a couple of feet away from him.

"How nice of you to join us." Vale said with an intensely pleased smile. "We're actually quite happy to reunite you with your brother."

Michelangelo dropped into a defensive posture, reaching for his numchucks.

"Oh, you see, that really isn't necessary. You're quite trapped in here, I assure you." Vale told him.

"Yeah? Well _you're_ trapped with me." He challenged outright.

The second, younger looking man fell back slightly at the sight of Mike's seething glare, but the speaker only gazed at him passively.

"There is really no sense in resisting, but if you insist, I'm happy to accommodate you." Vale said smoothly.

He raised a hand-held device of some kind, intentionally aiming for one of the creature's muscular legs, and not his tough plastron. If Mike had realized what he actually held in his hand, he might have tried to _move_ when he heard the snapping sound.

The prongs made direct contact with his knee, and he was instantly caught in the surge of electricity. Vale purposefully didn't allow it to pulse as long as he had with the other, releasing the button after a few seconds had passed. Mike continued to tremble on the ground, fighting to regain control of his muscles.

"You may finish him for me now Derik." Vale encouraged the young man beside him, who still seemed rather nervous. "But you may wish to do it before the stun wears off."

Derik moved quickly at that, clenching his fist as he bent over the turtle. He struck Michelangelo forcefully in the jaw, feeling a new-found sense of satisfaction in watching the creature slump lifelessly to the floor.

"That will do Derik." Vale said. "Get this one bound like the other."

"How did you know he was coming Father?"

"The caller was rather persistent, wasn't it?" Vale laughed. "Patience is a virtue my son. It would do you well to learn some."

As Derik was chaining him up, Vale was drawn to the watch on Michelangelo's wrist. He immediately removed it, gazing at the piece long and hard. There was something familiar about it. It wasn't exactly like the one he'd taken from Luke, but very similar in design. And like his, this one bore no serial number or identifying marks of any kind.

"Does he have any other electronics on him?" Vale asked Derik.

The man searched swiftly, and came up with his phone.

"Hand me the other cell phone as well now, won't you?"

Vale carried the watch and cell-phones back to the door, and knocked three times to be let out. He handed off the items to another of the men.

"Dispose of these for me." He requested, and then glanced over at the van that the other creature had opened up, before coming to investigate the truck. "And take care of that van before we leave as well." He finished, and headed for the passenger side of the truck.

* * *

Raphael was way past the point of true patience with his younger brother now.

"Donnie, what is _taking_ so long?"

"Raph, it _has_ to be here. There must be a record of the deed in this place."

"We've been in here like two hours, ain't we kinda pushing our luck?"

"Do you really want me to stop looking?"

"No," He said grumpily. "I just want you to find it already."

"You _could _help me you know."

"Then who's gonna keep a look-out for _your _shell? We shoulda let Mike come in here."

"The less hands inside, the less of a trace we're going to leave." Donatello answered maddeningly.

"I woulda thought his shell would have called us by now. You know how bored he gets waiting around."

"Why don't you call _him _then Raph, and let me focus on this paperwork?"

"_Fine _genius, I will." Raphael answered shortly, and tried calling Mike's phone. He was rather surprised when it didn't ring, and cut straight out to voicemail. "Huh." He said thoughtfully, and re-dialed.

When five attempts yielded the same result, he switched to Leo's number. Nothing. Not even a ring, just the irritating voice mail box voice.

_What in the heck? __Both__ of them have their phones off?_

"What's the problem Raph?" Donnie called over, alerted by his continual hanging up.

"Don't know Donnie, all I'm gettin' from Leo and Mikey is voicemail. It ain't even ringing."

Donnie immediately opened up his phone, and tried Raphael's phone in his hand. He was slightly mystified when it rang properly.

"Okay. Nothing wrong with the service. That's _strange_. I'm gonna call Jenna, see if she's heard from either of them." Donatello told Raphael, and turned back to the phone.

It rang a few times, and went to voice mail. Further attempts followed the same example.

"What genius, _she_ ain't answering?"

"No Raph, she's not."

"That's it, we're done here. Something's goin' on, and we need to figure out what it is." Raphael said firmly.


	19. Missing

Jenna had spent the last hour sitting at the bar, along with a drink that seriously wasn't getting anywhere. She had been casually observing and making conversation with others who approached the bar, in addition to politely, but firmly, fending off advances. It wouldn't do to lose her temper at the moment. An in-rush of fresh air and louder voices drew her attention to the entrance for a moment, to see three men who were entering. At least two of them looked like they'd just gotten into a scrap, but there seemed to be no hard feelings _now_.

_Guys can get over stuff so quickly. Duke it out and be done with it - I'd rather do that myself than just refuse to talk to someone for three weeks like a lot of girls do._

"Hey, _you_ with the busted nose!" The bar-tender called out when she saw them. She looked like a no-nonsense kind of woman to Jenna, and her steely gaze was now focused on one particular man in the trio. "Did you move that stupid truck yet?"

"It's being taken care of, I assure you Judy." The man replied with a winning smile. "How about a repeat of the other night?"

"How about I give you a swift kick you know _where_, and you can get your sorry tail back on the road?"

The man only laughed at her, and followed his two buddies back toward the bathroom.

"Stupid city boys." Jenna heard her mutter under her breath. "Think they can dump their crap anywhere."

Jenna glanced over her shoulder at them again, catching a different angle of the man that Judy was murmuring about. That face. Something was familiar. She waited for them to reappear from the hall, and glanced around to find Marcus again. He was engaged at a table of five women, casting Jenna a quick wink when she caught his eye.

_He'd better not be enjoying this._

The three returned, and Jenna tried to watch their progress unobtrusively from across the room. It was impossible to say for certain if it was the same man from the picture. They didn't linger long, not even stopping to get a drink of any kind, just headed back for the door. Before she could stop herself, Jenna followed them. She walked outside a few paces behind, and then watched while they got into a waiting SUV, already running with someone on the driver's side. They drove out of the parking lot, and Jenna shook her head at herself.

_You're losing your head Jen, seeing things that you just __want__ to see._

As she turned to go back inside, a firm hand suddenly snatched her from behind, another clamping over her mouth as he dragged her further into shadows. She didn't have time to think, she simply reacted, simultaneously ramming her foot into her attacker's shin as hard as she could, while digging her fingernails into his arm like a death grip.

A quiet gasp was all that signified his pain, but his voice was surprisingly controlled as he whispered into her ear.

"Stop it Jenna, it's me!"

She whirled around as he released her, finding it hard to resist slugging the turtle directly in the face.

"Raphael! What is the _matter _with you? Do you have no memory of the fact that I've been _abducted_ before?"

"I needed to get your attention quietly."

"And_ that's _the best way you could think of?"

"Well no Jenna, but you weren't_ answering _your phone."

"My phone?" Jenna said in confusion, feeling around her jacket. "Oh snap - it has to be inside somewhere. I'm _sorry _Raph, did I hurt you?"

He chuckled lightly. "I think I'll live Jenna. Nice practice run though - I don't want to know what you were gonna do _next."_

"You helped teach me well. What are you doing here anyway? Did you and Donnie find the deed?"

"Actually, no...that search has been called off in favor of another one. Leo and Mike ain't answering their phones either - have you heard from them?"

Jenna glanced down at her watch. "Mike called me like forty-five minutes ago - he said Leo never turned up, and that he was going to look for him. What's wrong, now they're _both_ missing?"

"We're a little concerned Jenna."

"I'll go back inside to get my cell phone and Marc. Do you see how the parking lot continues down that slope? Leo said he was putting the van down there. Go ahead with Donnie, and we'll meet you in a couple minutes."

Raphael turned to dart back through the shadows to where Donatello was waiting.

"She said Mike called her, said he was going off lookin' for Leo. _We're_ supposed to meet both her and Marc down by the van."

"Raph, why are you _bleeding_?"

"Ask your _wife_ Donnie."

* * *

Jenna went back inside, almost running directly into Judy.

"Oh darlin', you're still here, that's good! I found this under the bar, right where you were sitting. I'd hoped you hadn't left yet." The woman exclaimed, handing her phone over.

"Thanks, I'd lose my head if it wasn't attached."

"It's such a nice night, I thought you might just be getting some air."

"Yes, it's lovely." Jenna said, slightly distractedly looking for Marcus.

"I don't suppose you noticed a white moving truck pull away while you were out there, did you? I don't see those characters now, they'd _better_ have taken it with them."

"A _what_?" Jenna demanded.

"Some creep dumped a Ryder truck in our lower lot. I don't normally mind somebody parking _overnight_, but two days is really pushing it. I noticed that it magically appeared the same night those city boys showed up. So earlier on today I sort of put two and two together. That busted up guy, he was hittin' on me, regardless of the ring on my finger. I pulled his phone number out of the office trash, and figured I'd give it a shot. My hunches are usually correct, and sure enough, I put the fear of God in 'im. Did you see them leave?"

"Yes, but it was in an SUV - I didn't see a truck. Can you show me where it is?" Jenna asked so quickly that the entire statement seemed to run together.

Judy was bewildered, but then turned to a man at the other end of the bar.

"Carl, can you watch the counter for me? I'll be right back."

"Hang on, let me get my friend." Jenna turned on heel, and retrieved Marcus from across the room.

She didn't take the time to explain anything to him, merely jerked him so hard by the arm that it got other people's attention.

Outside, she spoke up quickly. "She's seen the_ truck _Marc."

"_The_ truck, you mean the--"

"It sure sounds like it."

Down the slope, Judy paused for a moment in her stride. "No, it's gone alright. It was parked right over there on the other side of the lot. Of course, we've already got another squatter in it's place." Judy said, jerking a hand towards the turtle's van.

"No, that's ours Ma'am. It will be gone shortly." Marcus told her.

Jenna didn't say anything, the crestfallen look in her face was so gut-wrenching that Judy was more perplexed than before.

"It was here." Jenna said quietly at first. "It was _here_, _they_ were here! I saw them inside!" She couldn't contain the explosion.

"Jenna, we're gonna find them!" Marcus said firmly, laying both hands on her shoulders.

"Can I help you folks?" Judy asked, and Jenna shook her head sharply.

"No, I rather don't think you can."

* * *

After Judy left, Marcus and Jenna circled the lot slowly. As Marcus was focusing on the outer edge of the parking lot, his flashlight hit a curious piece of material. He stopped in his tracks, and then pushed off the edge of the blacktop, immediately finding more smashed electronic remains. He crouched down low to the ground, peering at a broken facing. He was startled out of his mind when Donatello was suddenly beside him.

"What did you find Marc?"

"Somebody's phone Don." Marcus said very flatly. "It looks like one of the guys'."

"Marcus, that's not _a_ phone - there are too many pieces." Donatello said with a sharp breath. "It's at least two."

"DONNIE!" A shout resounded from nearby.

"Raph, for God's sake, _keep_ your voice down!" Donatello answered, then stiffened as he saw the way that his brother was trembling.

"What is it Raph, what did you find?"

The turtle handed him the remaining pieces of the smashed watch, and Donatello cringed further.

"Shell. What _happened_ down here?"

* * *

Raphael paced in what small space was available in the back of the van, while Donatello was working on his laptop.

"Raph, could you stop that please?" Donnie said quietly without looking up.

"No Donnie, I'm _not_ gonna stop it. You been way too quiet, for _way_ too long! Now tell me what's going on! I want the truth and I want it now."

Donatello backed slightly away from the computer with a soft sigh. "Raph, sit down first."

"Do you _see _them, or don't you?"

"Mike's signal is coming in loud and clear, we'll easily be able to follow it. His vital information indicates that he was injured, but he's definitely_ alive_."

"Why couldn't you just say so? What about Leonardo?"

"_That's _the problem Raph. I'm not getting anything from Leonardo."

"What do you mean you're not _getting_ anything? Are you sayin' he's--"

"No, I'm not saying he's _dead_. I'm saying that I don't _know_. His implant isn't sending out information anymore. I've been going over the back-log from the last information that it recorded from him...from the way his vitals spiked, it indicates that he was in an altercation. It didn't last very long, but it was followed by some kind of a traumatic event. Seconds later, the implant stopped transmitting."


	20. Disabled

Donatello and Raphael climbed out of the back of the van to talk to Marcus, who was sifting through maps in the front seat. As they walked around the side, Raphael suddenly frozen in his step, reaching out to stop Donatello.

"Genius, do you _smell_ that?"

Donatello hesitated for a beat, and nodded. "Yeah, I do...like _gasoline_."

Quickly he took off his belt, handing it over to Raphael, and then dropped to the pavement. He ducked slightly under the van, trying to get a closer look.

"Oh yeah, it's coming from down _here _alright. Hand me my flashlight, will you Raph? We might have a problem."

"Just _one_ Donnie?" Raphael muttered darkly, but put the flashlight into his brother's outstretched hand. After a few seconds, he heard Donnie's sharp gasp.

"Oh _shell_!"

"I don't like the _sound_ of that Donnie!"

"Something's cut the fuel line! Raph _quick_, make sure Marc doesn't--"

Before Donatello could finish the statement, Raphael was bounding over to the driver's side door, and flung it open with such force that it startled the doctor severely.

"Are you _trying_ to give me a heart attack?" The man demanded.

"Marc, get the keys out of the ignition." Raphael said in a very even tone.

"What did I do? What's wrong?"

"_Take_ the keys out of the ignition, and get out of the car _right_ now."

Trembling just a little, Marcus obeyed him. "Raph, what's going on?"

The turtle didn't answer him. His attention had been drawn elsewhere, to the hood that didn't seem properly latched. Holding his breath slightly, he popped it open rest of the way, and peered inside.

_Shell, it just gets better and better._

Raphael left the hood up, and came back around the side of the van as Donnie was climbing to his feet.

"Guys, _what's_ going on? Do we have a problem here?" Marcus asked.

"Someone has tampered with our fuel line." Donatello told him tightly. "It's a clean cut, no way it was an accident."

"That ain't _all_ they did genius." Raphael said morosely. "I just looked under the hood, somebody got in there pretty haphazardly, ripped out a bunch of wiring. Looks like they were in a hurry."

The urge to hit something had become so great that Donatello couldn't resist slamming his arm into the side of the van, ignoring the dent he'd just created. "It wasn't enough for them to take the guys, they had to try and _blow_ us up too!"

"What do you mean?" Marcus pressed.

"Marc, if you'd _started_ the car, it could have caused a spark from the engine to ignite the gasoline, blown us all to kingdom come." Raphael told him carefully.

Marcus was visibly paler than he'd been only seconds prior, backpedalling as though dizzy. "I think I'm going to be sick." He murmured, as Raphael threw an arm around his back protectively.

"Here Marc, c'mere and sit down." Donatello urged him, and Raphael helped guide to one of the cement curbs.

"Slow down your breathing, you're going to cause yourself to have an asthma attack!" Donatello urged him, dropping to his knees beside the man.

"Can you guys fix it?" Marcus asked, after a few seconds to remotely compose himself.

Donnie and Raphael exchanged a look.

"Yes Marcus, we can fix it, but we need parts and we need _privacy_." Donatello answered.

"_Meanwhile_, Leo and Mike are _gone_, and there's _nothing_ we can do about it!" Marcus raged, frustration making him wish that _he_ could hit something.

"I'm sure that's the whole _point _Marcus. We've been sabotaged. Somehow...they _knew_." Raphael said grimly.

Donatello glanced over his shoulder, and saw the shadowy outline of the barn nearby off the parking lot.

"I bet the van would fit in _there_ to work on it. But we still need_ parts_."

"Where did Jen get off to Donnie?" Marcus asked suddenly.

"She went back to ask that bar-tender a couple more questions about them. They'll probably kick _her _out soon, it has to be close to closing time."

* * *

Jenna was struggling to keep her composure inside, stalling just a little longer so that the guys wouldn't have to see her fall apart entirely. When he phone vibrated, she picked it up.

"Don, what's going on?"

"Jen, is that lady you talked to before still around ?"

"I can see her from here."

"Can you ask her about like a mechanic's shop? The van's been disabled, we're not going anywhere until we can fix it."

"Are you _kidding_ me?" She verily exploded.

"Would I joke about that? Can you ask her? We sort of need to get on this while we still have darkness on our side."

"I'll call you back." She told him, and sidled back up to the bar. "Judy, I hate to bother you again..."

"What is it darling?"

"Apparently we're having _car_ trouble now. Can you tell me how to find the nearest service station?"

"My best friend's husband, he runs the only shop in town. It's a little far to walk though. We're closing up in like twenty mintues, do you need a ride somewhere? The shop opens up around 10 in the morning."

Jenna's wheels were turning.

"Judy, the thing is, we're kind of desperate here."

"I can see that darlin'. First you come in here and order a drink that you don't touch, then all those questions, how upset you were outside. I can tell there's _something_ going on here. Would you like to tell me what it is?"

"I...I _can't_ completely."

"But it's got something to do with those city boys and that moving truck, doesn't it? You were looking for them."

"They...they _stole _something from us." Jenna said haltingly. "And tonight, they made matters even _worse_."

Judy waited for her to go on, surprised by the tears in her eyes.

"Is this like one of those 'don't ask, don't tell' kind of situations?" Judy asked.

"I'm not at liberty to--"

"No, it's okay. I get it darlin'. You're a good girl - I can see _that_ as plain as I could tell that those boys weren't no good. How soon do you need to be on the road?"

"An hour ago."

"Well, I can't take you back in time, but maybe there_ is _something else I can do for you."

* * *

Donatello was quick to answer his phone when it rang again.

"Jen?"

"Okay Donnie, here's the deal. You and Raph need to get out of sight. You _said_ that you can fix the van?"

"I'm sure that we can, it's not all that hard, we just need--"

"Stop for a second babe. You've got to make a specific list of what you need. I've got a woman up here, she's friends with the owner of the only service station in town. He's going to open it up for Marcus and I so that we can meet him, and pick up the parts."

"It is necessary to--"

"I _realize_ that you guys could just break in, but with the luck we've already had tonight, I don't want to go there, okay? Make the list. The lady's gonna open up her storage barn for us, she said we could work in there."

"I can't believe you thought of that."

"I knew you'd need cover to work in. Now hurry and get writing, give the list to Marcus. We'll be down there in a couple of minutes. Remember to be specific!"

"Alright Jen, I'm on it!"


	21. Time Out

***In another land, far far away from here....**

_

* * *

_

_1:30 in the morning, and I'm still at this? Geesh, sleeping has sure become a low priority since I started this fic. And now I'm out of Pepsi, that's just great. _

A firm knock at the window, and notebook and pen immediately hit the mattress.

_Darn it, I knew I shoulda kept that bat in here. How can I defend myself __now__, with that roll of gift wrap on the chest?_

The cell phone on the wicker night stand suddenly rang.

_That had better not be Krista. She knows I don't mind helping with the kids, but this time of night, they really are her problem._

But the phone number was blocked.

"Hello?"

"Sarah, could you let me in please? We need to _talk_."

"_Donatello_? How did you get this number? How did you _find_ me?"

"That's not important right now. Open up."

"It really would be easier to use the front door Donnie."

"I know you're nervous Sarah, but quit _stalling_."

The purple banded turtle had no issue climbing through the window, and dropped straight onto the mattress with a little roll.

_Wow, he's a lot...broader in person._

"So um, what's going on Donnie? Why the house call?"

"As if you really have to ask. What's _up _with these few chapters, huh? I thought you _liked_ us."

"But I do Donnie, I _do_ like you. I know that things seem pretty bad right now--"

"_Pretty bad_? Threatening to kill me off with a tranq in the very_ first _chapter of Hope and New Faces, _that _was pretty bad Sarah. Sticking Leo in a burned out storage unit with a cracked sternum and a compound fractured arm was pretty bad. _This_ is just insane. I didn't think you could top blowing up the United Nations with Jenna and Victoria inside of it, but you are proving me wrong. It wasn't _enough_ for you to pick on Luke, now you gotta drag Leo and Mikey into this too?"

"Everything happens for a reason Donnie, surely you know that about me by now. It always works out for you in the end, doesn't it? Think about _Jenna."_

"You're fortunate I didn't let her come with me - she's got a few bones to pick with your _complications_ too."

"_Please_ don't tell her where I live Donnie."

"Seriously? It sounds like you're more scared of my girl than you are _me_." He smirked slightly.

"She's temperamental."

"So'm I, when I'm _pushed_." The turtle glanced down at the open notebook, still lying on the bed. "You'd better be writing them a way out of this."

"It's already in my head Don, I just have to get it out in physical form."

The turtle's dark eyes narrowed slightly, as he stood up to go back out the window. "Then get back to _work_."


	22. House Guests

The first thing that Mike became aware of was a particularly hard bump in the road, which jolted him roughly on the floor of the moving truck. He opened his eyes slowly, and discovered that he was lying face down, and...no. No, he couldn't move, both arms were pinioned cruelly behind his shall, the chains around his legs so tight that he couldn't remotely find any give in them. Some moron had wound what felt like about half a roll of duct tape all the way around his mouth, proving not only to be an uncomfortable annoyance, but a a dreadful waste in his opinion. Duct tape was really useful for so_ many _things. The fusion between his skin and the adhesive made him cringe to think of how it would feel coming off.

_Boy, these guys don't play around._

With a flash, he remembered Leonardo, and turned his head very slightly, trying to see if he could catch a glimpse of him. He looked the wrong direction first, laying eyes on several shadowy forms in the surrounding darkness.

_Shell, we're not alone._

He turned the other direction, moving slowly as if to try _not _to draw attention to himself, then seeing Leonardo lying on his plastron, the same fashion that he was. But his older brother was clearly still unconscious, and his breathing contained a raspy quality that frightened Michelangelo very much.

_Darn it Leo, what did these boneheads do to you? They're sure gonna pay when Raph and Donnie catch up with us._

At that moment, a rather ironic thought occured to him.

_If these are the same jerks who took Luke, then our stuff ought lead them straight to him too! Maybe we shoulda tried to get caught on purpose._

Mike heard footsteps, felt someone standing over him, glowering.

_Then again, what kinda idiot would get himself kidnapped on purpose?_

"What are _you_ doing up?" The man over him asked accusingly, as Michelangelo made eye contact with him.

Something _hard_ and metal made contact with his forehead, and it was lights out.

* * *

Luke was awakened from a dead sleep by a rough knocking, raising his head only slightly when the bedroom came flying open.

_Geesh, you don't have to take it off the hinges - I'm up already._

Vale's face appeared, and Luke groaned inwardly.

_It's too early for this._

"I have something to show you Doctor." The man said, a strange _new_ tone suddenly apparent.

"Is Cartier--"

"This has nothing to do with him. Follow me." Vale interrupted, motioning a hand over his shoulder.

He led Luke through the Common area, back to the kitchen, and then towards a staircase that he'd not yet laid eyes on, obviously leading to a basement.

_Shoot, this is it. He's gotta be finally getting rid of me, _Luke thought fleetingly, breathing a little harder. _I knew it had to be coming, there's no way that they could ever let me go after what I've seen. Derik must have a good handle on that Morello character, and now I've worn out my usefulness._

It was almost completely dark, only a single light bulb currently illuminating the staircase, giving them light to walk through. Luke hesitated half-way, and felt an iron grip snatch by the wrist.

"Come _on_ Doctor. We don't want to keep them waiting."

_Them? What the heck is he talking about now? Does he keep patients he doesn't like in the basement?_

From the bottom of the staircase, he could now just barely make out the shadowy outlines of forms against the far wall. They were bound in chains that secured them to the wall, so that they hung like puppets without their feet even touching the ground.

_This looks like some kind of medieval torture. I hate to think what he's--_Luke's thought abruptly cut off when he recognized the _shell_ of the outline. _No. No, this can't be happening. I'm dreaming. I have to be._

"We picked up some new house guests in Hillsboro tonight." Vale said in a matter of a fact way. "Come and have a closer look Luke. I'm anxious to hear _your_ thoughts about them."

Luke's legs didn't feel like they would support him, his breath coming in rapid gasps that could hardly actually qualify _as_ breathing. The grief that struck him was so sudden, it felt like he'd been hit by a semi-tractor trailer. Vale's hand tightened on his shoulder as he resisted his grip, and fought the urge to hold down a sob out of his throat.

_Pull it together Barrows - PULL IT TOGETHER! You can't let him know that you're connected! They're alive, they have to be alive, or he wouldn't have them restrained this way!_

This time Luke shuddered openly on _purpose_, as Vale took him closer, and then turned on an overhead light.

_Scared. Nervous. Amazed. Are you ready for this Barrows? You've never seen them in your life._

In the brighter light, he was able to completely identify them for the first time. Leo. Mikey.

"What do you think Doctor?" Vale asked with a hint of a smile. "Do you approve of my new pets?"

Luke refused to take another step towards them, though he was _dying _to get his hands on them. He attempted to feign the unexpected terror that he'd seen in Marcus' eyes, the night an incoherent Raphael had walked in on the two of them, after his friend had broken into his apartment.

"You don't like them?" Vale asked with some amusement.

"What is this Vale? What are you_ doing _here? Where did they come from?" Luke asked in swift succession.

"Beats me Doctor. They were poking around where they shouldn't have been, earned themselves a free ride into our kingdom. Don't you want to see them?"

"No...no, I'm quite fine from here. What are they? What are you going to do with them?"

Vale smiled tolerantly at Luke.

_Alright Doctor Barrows, I'll allow your charade to stand for the time being. But before your stay with us is finished, you will be talking, one way or another._

"You're quite safe from them, I assure you." Vale said, as if speaking to a small child. "Their bonds don't allow them any true freedom of movement, and it would likely be awhile before they were _up_ for it in any case."

Luke made another show of hesitation, and then reached out a hand "experimentally" to touch Michelangelo. As he lightly raised his chin to get a look at him, blue eyes suddenly snapped open. The duct tape covering his mouth prevented a true outpouring of emotion, but the look in Mike's eyes spoke deeper than any words could have.

_He's relieved. Trapped in the basement of some whack-job callous killer, and he's relieved just to see me._

Luke had to swiftly turn away from him, to avoid an outpouring of emotion of his own. With his fingers he lightly probed the turtle's body, as if getting a feel of it for the first time.

"Extraordinary." He breathed aloud. "Never in my all life...I've never seen anything like it. What could produce an animal of this nature?"

Vale shook his head at him. "I've learned not to question all the 'hows' of life Dr. Barrows. What happens to us personally, isn't nearly as important as our response to it."

Luke turned his gaze back to Michelangelo, trying to make him understand with his _own_ expression that he didn't want Mike to give away that he knew him.

"Why are you showing these creatures to me Vale? You have to know that this is far outside of my area of expertise." Luke said, never taking his eyes off Mike.

"You are a resourceful man Luke, I thought that I would get your opinion on their conditions."

"You want to keep them alive?" Luke asked, attempting to keep his tone as even as possible.

"If I wanted them dead outright, I wouldn't have brought them all the way _here_. There are plenty of places where we could have simply disposed of them, between here and Hillsboro."

"You would have to allow me some time to study them." Luke said, forcing all traces of desperation out of his voice. "It would take some considerable effort to even know where to start here."

"Why don't you take a look at the other? He's worse off than this one. I used my favorite tool on _both_ of them, but I employed a much stronger charge on the one in blue."

"_Charge_?" Luke couldn't help from repeating sharply. "You shocked them?"

"They didn't leave us an option, they were quite difficult to control. Derik mentioned the possibility of using a further sedation technique to make sure that--"

"No, I wouldn't go that route." Luke said quickly.

"Really? Why is that Doctor?"

"We don't know _anything_ about their specific chemistry or body make-up yet Vale. We could easily end up harming them by pumping them full of drugs, without understanding of their physiology."

Luke's mind was racing with terrified thoughts at the mention of sedation. He knew all too _well _his turtle friends couldn't tolerate any medication that Derik would dole out for them.

He touched Leonardo then, surprised by how much colder he felt than his brother.

"Do you have a light on you Vale?" Luke asked, trying to maintain a tone of simple curiosity.

Vale handed him a flashlight, so that Luke could check the turtle's pupils, and then proceeded to test what other vitals he could by hand. His struggle to breathe was the most apparent thing at the moment.

_What's he done to you Leonardo? I've got to find a way to help you._


	23. Fearless

Katherine slapped her phone shut, literally shaking with rage. Never before had she felt so impotent - not even in the hands of Terelli's men. At least then she'd been _present_ for what was going on, had no question as to where things really stood.

_I should have gone with them. I should have __been__ there!_

She collapsed against the back of the couch, suddenly feeling the room was spinning. How was she supposed to even begin to tell the others what had happened last night? She had vivid memories of sharing the deaths of loved ones, with the families of victims from her line of work. She'd prided herself in the past on her professional yet "compassionate" demeanor. There was no compassionate way to inform April and Victoria that half the brothers were missing now.

She didn't want to move from that spot - she wanted to wake up from the nightmare she felt like she was having. Katherine felt something rub against her shoulder, and glanced over to see Raphael's cat, nudging against her from the back of the couch. She reached up to stroke the animal in return, then drawing the creature close to her chest in what was_ rare _close contact for her.

"I don't know when you'll see your boys again Tiger. I hope..." Katherine trailed off, not willing to say out loud that one of them could possibly be dead.

Tiger's yellow eyes pierced right through her, seeming as if they almost understood that all was not right in the world.

"Kat?" The woman heard someone call her name from the staircase. "Are you down here?"

"Yes Victoria." She answered a little shakily.

"You're awake early. Do you want me to get some coffee started?"

"No, thank you. Will you please just wake up April? We need to talk."

* * *

"Genius, why don't you let _me _handle the fuel line? I think the electrical wiring requires a more _patient_ hand than mine."

"Raph, you've gotta be careful with the installation of the new line too." Donatello reminded him.

"I know Donnie, I can handle it. Can we get down to work?"

They worked inside of the storage barn, well after day had broken. Raphael's part was finished long before Donatello's delicate process was, and he found himself reduced to walking the length of the barn back and forth while he was waiting.

_Never wished I had a punching bag more_, he thought darkly. _Only thing I'd love more would be to already have their freaking necks in my reach. If they killed Leo, they are gonna pay dearly one way or another. I don't care if I have to die doin' it._

Adrenaline was burning off, and it left him with a crushing weariness that threatened to overtake him. Raphael leaned against the side of the barn, sinking slowly to the ground.

_You're our great equalizer Fearless. I can't imagine __living__ without you, much less keeping this junk up. All those years, I thought you were holding me down, tryin' to keep me under your thumb, when all you ever wanted was for me to succeed, to get better. I assumed you thought you were so much better than me, that you gloried just in being the oldest, the leader._

_I didn't appreciate you back then, never understood how much you were only wanting to help me. But we grew up since then, we didn't have a choice. With Sensei being gone, it was time to "put up or shut up". You became the true leader of the pack, and for the first time, I think I started seeing you for who you __really__ are._

_Not someone searching for my faults, trying to exploit my every weakness in a veiled attempt to make me stronger. Not lording it over us, reveling in your control. That was always more __my__style - never been good at handling too much responsibility. __You're __the one who's consistently kept us on track, without even exerting true force over us. I could never have done that. If it was up to me, this family probably woulda cracked a long time ago._

_I talk a tougher game than any of us, but there's a darn good reason we call __you__ Fearless. It'd probably be better for all parties involved if our places were exchanged, if it was __me__ missing instead of you._

_But I'm tryin' here Leo, trying not to lose it. I know I've gotta help Donnie now, gotta keep the temper in check You mighta been proud of me earlier, when we figured out the van had been sabotaged. I didn't lose my head, I stayed calm for the others. I'm gonna do my best to stay level here. But once we get wind of those suckers, all bets are gonna be off._

* * *

Jenna had been keeping watch as a look-out on the other side of the barn doors, now sitting in the grass with her knees drawn up to her chest. She hated waiting - but she hated not _knowing_ even more. Coming to the tavern had been her idea, her "brilliant" plan to find some way to make an impact in the search for Luke. Now she felt like she just curl up in a ball and die herself.

Jenna glanced down as her phone vibrated, sighed deeply when she saw Victoria's name come up.

"Hi Mom." She said in a very small voice to hear.

"_Baby_." Victoria's voice translated over the phone, an outpouring of tenderness.

"Mom, don't try it, okay? Don't tell me everything's gonna be alright, that it will all work out. We don't even know if Leonardo is alive!"

"You also don't know that he_ isn't_." Victoria said firmly. "The way I see it, you have more reason to hope that he is, than to accept that he's gone."

"How do you figure?"

"Why would they bother taking him, if he was already dead?" Victoria said, the reason of her statement sinking in quickly. "That would serve no real purpose, would it? The very fact that he's missing along with Michelangelo, that you found their phones _together,_ serves as an indication to me that he's somewhere out there alive."

"Mom, I made so many mistakes last night. They were right there in front of me, and I watched 'em walk out the door. I don't know how I can live with myself if--"

"You have to stop talking like that Jen. It won't help them, and it isn't helping _you_. You've got to cling to some tiny shred of faith, and just keep plowing ahead."

* * *

Donatello shut the hood with a bang, dusting off his hands thoroughly.

"Okay Raph, we should be ready to try this thing. You wanna do the honors?" He called to his brother.

Raphael came over to start the engine, smacking the steering wheel with satisfaction when the motor turned over for them. He let it continue to run for a couple of minutes, just to be sure that it was in a good place before sticking his head out the window.

"We're in business genius. Let's _blow _this popsicle stand!"

"I'm right behind you Raph." Donatello answered, and ducked around the back of the van to retrieve Marcus, who'd been plotting out their route.

"It's really so much _easier_ now that Mike's signal is stationary." Marcus said. "We might not have an address to go on, but his coordinates are as good as gold. Are we ready to go?"

"_More_ than ready Marc. You alright to get back behind the wheel?"

"Do _you_ feel like driving in broad daylight?"

"That probably wouldn't be the best plan. Go get up front Marc, and tell Raph to get his shell back here."

As Raphael got out to let Marcus switch places with him, he paused for a second at the driver's side window.

"You know where you're takin' us?"

"I've been studying, so I have a pretty good idea. Hey Raph, I been meaning to ask you, what _is_ this weird hollow area down here? You know, underneath the dashboard?"

"Storage compartment Marc - we keep refill tanks in there."

"Refills of what?"

"Different chemicals we stock for our little booby traps. There's a darn good reason I told you not to touch anything up here, if you don't already know what it does."

"I forgot you guys have the built in defense system. Too bad it couldn't help_ last _night."

"It's not exactly _automated _Marc." Donatello spoke up from the passenger side window. "C'mon you two, less gabbing. Let's get this buggy moving."


	24. Animal

Luke could sense that he was walking a _very_ fine line. Vale hadn't left him alone with the turtles for a single instant, and there was no telling what the man was actually thinking right now. Luke could have cared less for his own skin at this point, he was simply on edge about how to proceed with the guys.

"Would your own equipment be of assistance to you Doctor?" Vale asked with an inviting smile.

Luke had been going over in his head how he could manipulate the man into letting him set Leonardo up on the Oxi. He had yet to actually figure out if said manipulation would be _possible _in this situation.

He took a steady breath, to keep himself from sounding entirely too eager before responding to Vale.

"It might help me get a better idea of what I'm dealing with here, though I still don't understand what it is you want me to do with them."

"Don't try thinking too much right now Doctor. I simply desire for you to get some sort of a grasp of where they stand physically, especially concerning the other one."

"Is all of this really necessary?" Luke asked, indicating the layers of duct tape Mike was covered in.

"Are you thinking of them like _people_ already Doctor?"

"They're_ living _things Vale - I wouldn't even treat an animal this way." Luke told him, and decided to push ahead without asking for permission.

He picked up a small pair of scissors from one of the kits, and lightly started working his way under the tape. He made small cuts, one at a time through the adhesive, going slowly to avoid slicing his skin in the process. The scissors did most of the work for him, leaving only a portion to remove by hand. Vale had been watching with a small smile, and reached out from beside him to yank off the last piece with sudden fierceness.

Vale enjoyed the reaction of pain it elicited from the creature, and the dark look Luke shot his direction as well.

"It's like a band-aide Luke, you just have to get it over with."

"Can you let _me_ do this please? You _did_ ask me to get a closer look at them. You can't keep them gagged that way, they're going to need fluids to keep from dehydrating."

"Suit yourself Doctor."

Vale took a step backwards to observe them, as Michelangelo stretched out his jaw, trying to work out the stiffness from behind restrained that way. He locked gazes with Luke, who was trying to mouth something silently to him. It took a couple of attempts before Mike understood what he was saying.

_Fight me_.

The turtle's slow blink seemed to acknowledge that he understood Luke's instructions.

As Luke approached him again to ostensibly get a better look at his forehead, Michelangelo let loose with a loud threatening snarl, and snapped down hard as if to bite the man. Luke leaped backwards cringing, as if truly afraid of being hurt.

"The living_ thing _just tried to take your hand off Doctor." Vale said dryly. "You're quite certain you wish to proceed without sedation?"

Luke didn't move from his rooted spot. "How do you expect them to react? He probably doesn't even have a clue what's going on. Any animal backed into a corner could easily snap at you."

"I think it understands perfectly well Doctor, the thing is intelligent. He already spoke to me."

Luke's brow furrowed, as if that was an amazing revelation. "That changes things even more. Rational beings don't deserve to be treated like cattle."

"Are you so certain you can tame the beast?" Vale said evenly.

"I'm not certain of anything right now." Luke shot back. "But if he's intelligent, he _should_ understand that I'm only trying to help him."

"It's _your_ skin Doctor, so that's your prerogative. But if he so much as snaps at one of _us_ again, the gag goes back on."

Luke swallowed, like he was about to take a deep plunge, venturing back over to Michelangelo.

"There, now you hear him? Keep those jaws _locked_, or the duct tape is coming back." Luke warned him, then glancing back at Vale. "Do you really suppose that he understands me? It's so hard to believe."

"He _understands_ Doctor. The question is whether or not he will _comply_." Vale finished pointedly, coming to jerk Mike's chin up forcefully to look at him in the eye. The creature's surprisingly blue eyes seared straight through him, as he immediately yanked the opposite direction to get his head out of his hands. The man noted however that he made no attempt to take a chunk out of him.

_Doc, you know what you're doin'_, Mike thought, casting a nervous glance at his older brother. _But could you speed this little portion up already, get him to let you move on to Leo? Dude needs your help._

Vale caught his anxious gaze, and laid a hand on Michelangelo's shell.

"You _do_ care what happens to him, don't you? You may wish to cooperate with us fully, for his sake if nothing else."

_I __am__ cooperating. You haven't lost a finger yet, what else do you want from me?_

"Surely you have something on your mind creature. Don't be shy now. Or I could just separate the two of you and be done with it."

Vale reveled in the alarmed look the statement elicited from those unnatural blue eyes.

"_No_," He strained out loud, figuring speech was the only thing Vale really wanted out of him for the moment. "Don't. I ain' hurting nobody."

Luke was "appropriately" amazed. "You weren't kidding." He said to Vale.

"_That_ Doctor, is something that I rarely do." Vale told him. "I don't think he will be so difficult to control after all."

Luke saw Mike's second glance at Leonardo, sensed the turtle wanted him to hurry things along.

"Can I have my things Vale?" He asked with as much boldness as he could muster. "You're the one who brought them up."

Vale called to someone up the stairs, and a couple of minutes later, Stolle came down with his things in hand.

"It's the most interesting thing Doctor," The man said, not quite releasing the medical scanner into his hand. "For some reason, I simply couldn't get your machine to turn on."

"It's biometric." Luke filled in quickly. "Patient records, privacy laws, it requires that the machine remains secure."

"Then show me how it works." Stolle ordered.

Luke slid his thumb over one of the electronic panels, while depressing one of the buttons, allowing him to watch the scanner come to life. When Stolle took it back in his own hand, the screen immediately darkened.

"What'd you do to it?" He demanded.

"I didn't do anything - you took it away from me. It's _biometric _Stolle, you're not a match!"

"Stolle, give the doctor his machine, and please leave us at once." Vale said with a slight edge.

Luke approached Leonardo as the man headed back up the stairs, using the scanner to take a reading of his vitals. The first thing that leaped out to him was the fact that his implant wasn't functioning.

_Oh brother. The others must be going out of their __minds__ right now. They can't even tell if you're alive, _Luke thought ruefully, and then paused to study the readings from the scanner. He knew exactly what Leo needed, but he couldn't be very hasty about it without giving Vale the wrong idea.

"He's sustained some nasty internal burns," Luke said slowly. "That's likely the cause of difficulty with his breathing. It could be that my Oxi would be of assistance in this case."

"It's your equipment Doctor, do what you want with it."


	25. Reason

"Donnie, wake up, _quick_!"

Donatello opened very weary eyes - he had in fact only drifted off about ten minutes ago, and wasn't altogether thrilled to have Marcus shaking him.

"_What_ Marc?" He murmured sleepily.

"Raph's trying to leave, you've gotta stop him!"

Donatello rose swiftly off the seat, sifting through a small bag nearby him, before heading for the back doors.

"He's not going _anywhere_ Marcus - I'll be right back."

The sight of his wife directly up in Raphael's face might have been enough to make him laugh, under normal circumstances. The turtle was impossibly more muscular than Jenna's thin frame, but her long legs still caused her to tower over him.

"Raph, don't be such a _moron_!" She was seething at that second. "How is going off in a rage supposed to help _anybody_?"

"You can't tell me what to do_ Jenna_, and you can't _stop_ me either!" He shot back, giving her what he imagined as being one of his most intimidating glares.

Jenna wasn't moved by it, didn't even flinch away from his gaze.

"Maybe _she _can't Raph," Donatello said coolly from behind them. "But I _can_."

"Genius, this is ridiculous!" Raphael hollered at him. "We know exactly where they are! We've got 'em in our sights! How can you possibly expect me to hole up in these trees and just _wait_?"

"Raph, you _saw_ their security measures from the _outside_ - there's no telling what else is behind closed doors! Jenna's right, running off in a rampage won't do anything, except make matters _worse_!" Donatello tried to reason with him.

"I'm 'spose to let a little_ camera _scare me off Donnie? I'm not just gonna _sit _here and wonder if he's dead or alive!"

"We're not talking about one camera here, I picked off at least two dozen different angles down there, just that I could outright _see_. That's not even to mention the armed guys they had outside! Why do you think we're dealing with some pansy pushovers here? Doesn't the fact that they managed to capture Leonardo _and_ Michelangelo say something to you? Now they're back on their _own_ turf, which makes it even more risky to charge blindly in!"

"They didn't catch 'em _together_ genius, that's the difference! Come _with_ me - let's get this done already!"

"I _want _it done Raph, but we're not ready for this yet! We can't throw away the only chance that we _have_ in a moment of anger!"

"I'm _goin_', with or without you Donnie."

"No, you're not." He answered more quietly, but no less insistent.

"You honestly think you can stop me?"

"I _know_ I can - but I'm hoping you won't force me to."

Raphael snorted. "Fine genius, you've got five seconds to do it. Why don't you give me your best shot?"

Donatello was already in close proximity with his brother, and Raphael had been spouting off too much to notice that Donnie was concealing something in the palm of his hand. Swifter than Raphael could blink, he brought the epi-pen up to bear, injecting it smoothly into his arm.

Raphael was so surprised by the action that he didn't react for a couple of seconds, until the waves of dizziness were overwhelming him. When his knees buckled, Donatello firmly caught him under the arms.

"You're gonna be okay Raph." He assured him.

His brother's glare seared directly into him. "You _cheated_." He slurred somewhat weakly.

"You _made_ me." Were the last words that Raphael heard, before blacking out completely.

* * *

Raphael's head was just slightly pounding as he stirred awake, rolling his neck on the seat. He opened his eyes with a rapid blink, and saw the back of the van come into view. When he tried to move, he received a very _rude_ surprise. His arms and legs were lashed tightly to the seat by some odd material, the braided appearance resembling something like rope, but the texture _felt _more like leather. A wider strap had been positioned over his plaston, secured by the steel rings on the side. Donatello _usually_ only employed the rings to keep a backboard in place when one of them had been injured badly - right now they were keeping _him_ firmly pinned down.

"What the _shell_?" Raphael demanded when he caught sight of his brother. "Let me _outta_ this thing genius!"

He struggled against the bonds somewhat uselessly, trying hard to flex his muscles and find a weakness in the material.

"No, I don't think so Raph."

"What do you mean '_no'_? This ain't _funny_ Donnie, take these off!"

"I don't think it_ is _funny Raph, that's not actually the point here. I can't let you go, not until I'm sure you won't do anything stupid."

"Donnie, when I get outta this, you are DEAD!"

"You're not doing anything to help your case here."

Raphael let out an extraordinarily frustrated cry, raging against the bonds with every ounce of force that he possessed.

"And you can quit wasting your energy. I designed these restraints with _you_ specifically in mind. I knew if they could hold up to your temper, they could keep _any_ of us down. You never thought Doc was serious about threatening to restrain us if we didn't listen to him...you were wrong."

"This ain't _Doc's_ doin', it's _yours_! LET ME GO!"

Donatello remained remarkably calm, acting as if there was nothing particularly odd about the situation. "Remember those endurance tests I put you through last year Raph?"

"You USED me?"

"I_ am _sorry. But there was no way I could have gotten you to agree to it openly, could I?"

"You are gonna regret this _so_ much! You can't keep me tied up forever!"

"I can _keep_ you here until you calm down."

"AIN'T gonna happen Donnie!"

* * *

Raphael raged for more than an hour and a half, his language becoming increasingly colorful. Donatello didn't bother trying to reason with him after awhile, eventually dropping onto the seat across from him, and plugged in his MP3 player to listen to. His gaze would drift over to Raphael every so often, and he would turn directly back to his distraction.

_I'm patient Raph. I can wait longer than you can burn._

He didn't touch the earphones, until he saw the visible change in his brother's countenance, the smoldering anger being replaced with desperation.

_Let's see if he's ready to get anywhere._

Donatello dropped his player, and came swiftly to sit on the floor beside his brother's seat.

"Don't you see we're wasting time genius?" He asked a little raggedly. "We don't know what's happening. We've gotta get over there and _do_ something. That's all I know Donnie. None of this intrigue, sneakin' around. We've gotta get 'em out!"

"Raphael, I'm so tired that I can hardly keep my eyes open as I speak. We should both be _asleep_, resting so that we're ready to move when darkness falls. Instead, I'm _babysitting _you. _Who's _wasting time here Raph?"

Raphael's head collapsed against the seat, a deep sigh of anxiety coursing through him.

"Alright Donnie. Let me up - I ain't going nowhere."

"I need you to give me your _word _Raph, that you're not going to try to take Morello's people alone, and you're _not _going to strangle me the second I turn you loose."

"I swear. I told you ain't leaving, and I'm not gonna kick your shell. Until we get home."

Donatello actually laughed a little as he started to free his older brother, but Raphael's expression was lower than it had been yet.

"_If _we ever get there." Raph continued.

"What does Leo say about that defeatist talk?"

"I ain't trying to be defeated Don, just realistic. I'm not leaving these woods without making a real go at getting them out. If that means I go down in a hailstorm of bullets, I guess that's the way it's gotta be. But I'm not walking away from them."

"I'm not interested in walking away either Raph. But if we can get everyone out_ without _being forced to die in a hailstorm of bullets, I think we should exhaust all those options first."

Raphael sat up completely on the seat, as Donatello finished taking the restraints off him. He flexed his arms a little stiffly, glancing down at Donnie again.

"Alright Donnie, we'll play this your way. Brains first, bashing later. After all, if it weren't for _your_ brain, we might not have found them at all. I'm sorry I ever questioned you about those implants."

"I know it sounded pretty weird at the time, but now you can see that it was all for a good reason."

"I never really _doubted_ that genius, I just didn't want somebody having that much freedom to check up on me."


	26. Stand In

A sudden dousing drew Michelangelo awake with a start, jerking painfully against his chains. He shook his head in an attempt to get water out of his eyes, not that it actually did any good. He was reduced to blinking rapidly, and waiting for his sight to clear.

"Good evening my friend." A familiar even tone greeted him, and then he was face to face with Vale.

Michelangelo sensed the others nearby too, glancing around to see the several shadows lurking _behind_ Vale.

_This __cannot__ be good._

"I _ain't _your friend." Was the only thing he could think to say at that precise moment.

"You are entitled to feel that way creature, but I've actually only come to you right now to deliver a proposition."

"You mean like a deal?_ Forget _it dude - ain't happening." He snapped at the speaker.

"Perhaps you would like to _hear_ the terms, before you dismiss it?"

"Not interested."

"No?" Vale said smoothly, stepping away from Michelangelo so that he was now in front of Leonardo.

With a firm hand he jerked Leo's chin upright, and Mike clearly saw his brother's dark eyes slowly blink, and hover about half-way open. The dazed expression on his face indicated that he wasn't all there yet - but he was _awake_.

"You see my friend," Vale began, directing his gaze at Michelangelo, "Some of my men are unsatisfied. They've had a rather frustrating couple of days. I couldn't allow Luke to be _damaged_ before he completed his task, and that in itself was hard for them to take. And then there was _last_ night, where they were humiliated at the hands of your brother. They call for his blood, and I do not deem it properly fair to deny them. But he's only just now come around for the first time, and I have the feeling that he wouldn't provide very much _sport _for them. On top of which, he is already injured, which it may surprise you to know is _disappointing_ to them. The difference between _breaking _someone, and only pushing over a teetering fence is a rather significant one. For this night, I am offering you a rare privilege of _choosing_ your own fate, or his rather, if I can put it that way."

"It's him or me, huh?" Mike said, surprised by how steady his voice sounded to his own ears. "No contest. _Me_."

"Somehow, I sensed you might feel that way." Vale said coolly, letting Leonardo's head fall to the side. The man hesitated for a moment, leaning over the blue-banded turtle. "I do hope that you can stay awake for this." Vale whispered to him, laughing when the turtle wasn't capable of raising his _own_ head.

Vale nodded in Michelangelo's direction, and the rest of the men came fully out of the shadows to form a semi-circle.

"_Mikey_...no..." Came a soft rattled gasp from behind the Oxi, and Vale threw a hand over Leonardo's shoulder.

"You want to _watch_? I feel that this is a more proper punishment for you anyway." Vale told him. "Just think. If it weren't for _you_, I never would have found your brother at all."

His troubled breathing seemed to heave more irregularly at that moment, as he tried to get his chin out of Vale's grasp.

"No, no, my friend." Vale told him, firmly holding him in place. "The show is about to begin."

Mike had already consciously changed his own breathing pattern, switching to longer deeper breathes. He mentally ordered muscles not to contract, not to tense for what was coming.

_They're not gonna see me cower_.

He waited. With him chained up this way, they couldn't all attack him at once, they would have to take turns. The thought of waiting for all six of these jokers to wear out of it was a little daunting, but it didn't lessen the stubborn defiance in his blue eyes.

The first blow that whipped his head back actually hurt worse than he was expecting it to. As he tasted blood and re-directed his gaze, he quickly noticed _why_. The man was wearing brass knuckles.

_Shell, this ain't gonna be pretty_.

The next jab was for aimed for his normally well protected plastron, hard enough that it would have doubled him over, if his body could physically move in that direction. Before he could remotely recover from it, the blows started coming faster, and from various directions. Most of the hardest hits were directed toward body shots. Their intention was to keep him awake for as long as possible.

He could literally feel his rib cage cracking under the pressure of direct blows, unable to hold back from crying out as much as he wished he could. Every limb was weak and sagging, as they passed the twenty minute mark. A shattering blow forced his head against the wall - yet _another_ punch sending his skull crashing into the cement.

_Alright_...He managed to rally a thought dizzily. _I've seen enough of your ugly faces._

Through bleary eyes, he managed to catch sight of the next fist that was coming, intentionally raising his chin so that he would take the impact squarely. There was an explosion as darkness fell. And it was _good._

_

* * *

_

About ten minutes after their game had finished, Vale went to retrieve Luke from his bedroom exile. His heart leaped at the opportunity to get back into close contact with the guys, but something in the smug nature of several of the men in the Common area unnerved him.

"I'm afraid you have some more work to do Doctor." Vale said, as he led the way down the stairs.

"What work?" Luke asked automatically.

"You will have to see for yourself. The one in blue came around, that should please you. But the other--" Vale didn't get to finish after Luke caught sight of Michelangelo.

"_No_, what did you _do_?" Luke demanded. "You said that you wanted them healthy, you said--"

"No Doctor, those were _your_ words. I only wanted to know where they stood physically."

"You said you wanted them alive!"

"Does he look_ dead _to you Luke?" Vale chuckled. "Do as you please with him - I have a more pressing engagement to return to. You _protection_ will be provided for."

As Vale turned to leave, two other men trotted down the stairs, guns already in hand. They positioned themselves nearby, as Luke approached Michelangelo feeling very shaky.

Half of his mask had been stained crimson with blood, almost as red as the one that Raphael wore. As Luke had only started to probe his injuries, he quickly reached for a towel to staunch the severely bleeding gash in his skull.

_Aw Mikey...you're going need so many stitches_.

With one hand firmly applied to the bleeding, he used the other to carefully feel around his jaw and the base of his neck, searching for breaks of any kind.

_What I wouldn't give for my gun right now._

Luke taped up open injuries as well as he could, knowing that it was only a temporary fix. The likelihood of infection coming from the very environment that they were being held inside of was extremely high in itself.

"_Doc_." A raspy whisper came from nearby, and Luke immediately dashed to Leonardo's side.

"_Shh_." Luke whispered back, glancing over his shoulder to be sure that the guards hadn't heard the exchange. "You don't know me." He barely breathed into his ear.

* * *

From upstairs, Vale had been watching through Closed Circuit Television. It didn't include sound, but he wasn't interested in what he could _hear _for the moment. What had seemed pretty obvious to him to begin with, had now been proved without any shadow of doubt through the test that had just been performed. The very nature in which Luke treated these creatures revealed the fact that he _knew_ them.


	27. The Forest

Sleeping was the last thing that Donatello really _wanted_ to do, but far too many hours had passed without it, and he already felt worthless. He and Raphael had been hunkered down together for a few hours now, proving his absolute trust in his brother's promise. Raphael was many things, but a liar wasn't one of them.

Around 5pm, Donatello was awakened by his cell phone ringing, and whipped upright immediately. It was Greg. He almost ignored it altogether, simply pondering the facing for a long moment, as Raphael sat up too.

"Why don't you _answer_ that?" His brother growled in irritation.

"It's Kat's partner." Donatello replied. "Sorry...I guess I'll see what he wants."

He answered it swiftly, before it could stop ringing entirely.

"Hello Agent, can I help you?"

Greg picked up on his exhausted tone immediately.

"I don't want to bother you Donatello. I hadn't heard from you in a couple of days, and to be frank, I was concerned. What's your current position? Have you found any evidence that links Morello to Hillsboro yet?"

Donatello didn't answer him for a long few seconds, wondering what exactly he should say to the man, how much he could safely share.

"Why aren't you saying anything?" Greg demanded. "You're making me_ very _nervous now!"

"We hit a snag." Donatello said blandly. "Ran into a rather large problem last night."

"You sound different than before. Are you in danger?" Greg pressed at once.

"Not immediately, no."

"For God's sake Donatello, I've risked _everything_ to help you! Would you please just _level_ with me? What's the problem? Maybe I can help."

"I doubt that Greg, I doubt that very much." Donatello told him, and then hesitated half a beat more. "We know where Morello's people are."

"You _know_?! You found them?"

"Not before they found_ us_."

"What are you talking about? What do you mean they _found_ you?"

"Not _me_ specifically, but two of my brothers were taken last night. So help me, if you say 'I told you so', I'll hunt _you_ down next!"

"I wasn't going to! Donatello, this is_ heavy_! We've got to get the authorities involved immediately!"

"That's not gonna happen Greg."

"Donatello, be reasonable! You can't honestly still be considering going this alone."

"Agent, you have no idea the circumstances surrounding us. I'm not calling _anyone_."

"Then I'm coming after you _myself_!"

"Good luck finding us Greg."

"Why are you fighting me? Don't you _want_ to get everybody back in one piece? You're not professionals! You wouldn't have even _found _the connection to Hillsboro if it wasn't for me! I'm trying to help you, don't you understand that?"

"I can't explain this to you Greg, I wish that I could. You're right - we're not professionals, and to be honest, we can't afford to get entangled with them. We've got no choice except to press forward on our own, like we always have."

"You could very well be throwing their lives away at this moment. That's a risk you're willing to take?"

"We _don't_ have a choice." Donatello repeated. "Thank you for your concern Agent...but as of this moment, we're on our _own_."

* * *

He hung up with Greg, and tried to get back to sleep. For a few minutes he simply laid on the seat silently, all the faces of his brothers and best friend running through his mind. How was he supposed to _think_ straight under these conditions? He felt like losing it, just as much as Raphael had _tried _to. At that moment, he was truly at a loss for how to safely proceed. There was absolutely no telling how many men, or how many _guns_ were inside that cabin. His darkest fear wasn't of dying himself, but the thought of Luke or one of his brothers being murdered, before they could ever get to them.

He was also terrified of the position they were putting Jenna and Marcus in as well. They were at a reasonable distance, buried in thick forest that gave them good cover. But that didn't change the fact that the humans were still out there _with_ them, therefore putting them at risk. He could only imagine what _Victoria_ must be thinking about her little girl being on this journey.

_We absolutely can't let anything happen to them_, Donatello thought fiercely. _When it comes down to it, we'll have to find a way to assure that they're safe._

He sighed, shutting his eyes tightly, as if also trying to shut down the thoughts that were racing through his mind. It didn't remotely work.

_We'll have to do some major canvasing of the structure after nightfall, try to get an idea of where any weak spots lie in the exterior. I wonder if those morons really stand guard 24/7? Are they actually monitoring all those cameras at once? Would it be possible to--_

_STOP IT, _He commanded himself suddenly. _Slow down. Isn't that what Sensei, Leonardo always told you? You can't see the forest for the trees? Trying to focus on every little detail simultaneously, and being completely overwhelmed. There's an answer in here somewhere - and it's probably right in front of me. What's the bigger picture?_

Donatello paused for a couple of minutes, breathing and out very slowly.

_Calm. I'm completely calm. Not straining, not fighting, just...quiet. What does the forest mean for __us__? What advantage still exists that I'm not seeing?_

He opened his eyes slowly, as his spirit seemed to settle down for the first time in days. At once, his gaze tracked to the seat across from him, and it seemed a beacon of light illuminated over the top of his medical scanner. Brow furrowed, he sat up carefully.

_What about it? How's my scanner supposed to give us any kind of edge at all over these baddies? I must __really__ be reaching now._

Regardless of the doubt, he reached to turn the machine on, staring at the screen intensely, as if waiting for it to answer some cosmic question. Then...

_Wait. Wait a minute, can that actually..._

He had just noticed an icon appear on the the screen, indicating an incoming scan. All three of the devices that Donatello had created for himself and the two docs were _connected_, through a series of special cookies. It was a feature that enabled information sharing to take place between the machines. And at this _very_ moment, something was being transmitted his direction. He clicked on the file, holding his breath a little bit.

It had come from Doc's machine. Two sets of scans, one on Michelangelo, one on..._Leonardo. _He was _alive_, alive without any doubt, and now he knew for certain that_ Doc _was too! He was so excited at that second that he could hardly keep from hitting the roof, but then another thought occured to him.

_We have a way to exchange information through __medical__ scans, but what if I took it a step further?_

He immediately reached for his laptop, digging through files to find an old project, that he'd never quite finished. At some point a couple of years ago, he'd considered adding a real-time texting feature to the devices. But he'd gotten distracted by more important things, and as months passed, forgotten about it altogether. What was the point? They already _had_ cell phones to communicate through.

If he finished writing it _now_, integrated the new program into his scanner, then he ought be able to force an automatic update to go through to the other machines as well. Donatello dropped his scanner onto the seat beside him, fingers moving like lightning over the keyboard on his computer. Raphael stirred after a minute of it, sitting up to look at him with a stretch.

"Donnie, what are you doin' over there?"

"Raph, I think I mighta found a way for us to communicate with Doc on the inside. By the way, Leo's _alive_."

"You_ know _that? How genius?!"

"Our scanners, all of our technology is linked together. Do you remember when we were inside the UN, and Doc had me forward the scans I took of the girls to him, so he and Marc could get what they needed? I didn't think of this before, not until I turned it on a couple of minutes ago, and found a set of scans waiting for me from Doc.

I started something years ago, a program that I never quite finished writing, it would enable us to communicate straight through text on the machine."

"Don't you need _his_ scanner to make it work?"

"No, I just need him to approve the update to his machine, and it should install properly on its' own."

"Then make it _happen_ genius!"


	28. Communication

"Mikey." Luke said very softly, when he heard the turtle groan.

Michelangelo felt something being pressed to his mouth, but didn't respond to it right away - he was still fighting his way back.

"Mike." Luke said just a little more loudly. "C'mon - open up for me. I want you to get this down."

The turtle accepted an experimental sip from the water bottle this time, straining towards it after he realized what it was.

"_Slowly_, easy buddy. I'm not taking it away." Luke said soothingly.

He eagerly accepted a few more blind sips from the man, before partially opening blue eyes. It took a long moment for things to sharpen, focus so that he could actually see what was in front of him.

"They didn'...ask nothin'..." He murmured with another groan. "Didn't care. They just..."

"Save your breath Mikey. You're hurt bad, and there's nothing I can do about some of it _here_. You've got to save every ounce of energy and fight that you have left inside of you."

"How's Leo?" He asked very softly.

"About as well as can be expected, considering."

"Gotta make sure...make sure he makes it. Guys _need_ him."

Luke looked over his shoulder a little apprehensively. The two guards were leaning on the staircase, debating who was the_ true _comedian on Seinfeld. He turned back to Michelangelo, lightly cupping the turtle's chin in his hand. "They need you _too_ Mikey."

"So glad _you're_ alive. Been scared."

"I don't know _how_ you guys found them. I'm sorry...I didn't...I never wanted _this_. It wasn't worth something happening to you."

"Doc...you're like a _brother_. We couldn't..." He paused in a painful coughing fit, as he tried to draw air through his chest too deeply.

"Stop talking." Luke said in a firm whisper. "Let's get some more water down."

He'd sent the scans to Donatello's machine, not wanting to alarm them in any way, but merely in an effort to communicate the fact that everyone was in fact alive and breathing.

_Hope it doesn't scare you too much Donnie - but if our positions were reversed, I'd want to know too. I bet you're out there somewhere right now, trying to find some way to storm this place._

Luke turned his attention back to Leonardo, wanting to see if he could get the turtle to drink anymore. He'd barely taken any the first time Luke had offered it to him.

"Leo." He said softly to get his attention, then helped him raise his head. "I'm going to take the Oxi off for a minute, just so you can get some more water down."

His dark eyes met him mutely, and he indicated absolutely no desire for the bottle.

"Leo, _c'mon_. They won't let me stay down here forever. You've got to take it while the getting is good, you understand?"

His gaze drifted downwards, breathing more labored for a few seconds. "My fault." He whispered raggedly, simply because it was the only sound he could get out, not only to keep the others from hearing. "My little brother..." He said with a gasp, and Luke saw the tears in his eyes.

"Leo, he's _alive_. And refusing water won't get him out of here. _Please_, just open up for me, so we can get the Oxi back on."

He obeyed the man dutifully, finding it rather hard to swallow. Luke let him take his time, helping him drain most of it over the course of fifteen minutes.

As Luke replaced the Oxi over his mouth, he was startled to feel a hand on his shoulder. One of the guards was directly behind him, and jerked him roughly towards the staircase by his bad shoulder. Luke gasped in pain, gritting his teeth just a little.

"C'mon Doc. Vale wants ya to have a look at Morello, and then it's bedtime." Dafour said simply.

* * *

Luke just barely spent ten minutes in with Cartier. The infection seemed to be responding well to IV medication, but he was troubled by the fact that Derik had continued to sedate him.

_Geesh. The man's crew kidnaps me, holds me against my will, threatens my life, and I'm __still__ worried about him overdosing. Why exactly do I have to care so much?_

Then Luke was escorted back to his bedroom, left to brew with his thoughts. He heard the heavy footsteps traipsing outside his door, same as every night since he'd been here.

_Don't they ever get tired of keeping me under surveillance? I can't even rest without one of them trying to watch every move that I make._

He rolled over to face the wall, anxiety for the guys plaguing him for over an hour in that same position.

_Would it be possible to barter for their lives, I wonder? I __have__ money, maybe enough to make it worthwhile for Vale to let them go. Still, I'd have no guarantee that he'd release them, no matter what I did. Nothing that man says or does can be trusted. He doesn't even care about these men that work for him. Why, he'd shoot __any __of 'em for breathing wrong. Except for Derik possibly, but even in his case...I've never seen an actual emotional display towards him, other than annoyance. Something tells me that man really does have only one objective...and anyone who gets in his way had better look out._

At some point, he did actually fall asleep with the light on, and didn't stir for over three hours. When he did wake up, it was actually a tone coming from his scanner that roused him.

_Hm? I never turned it off completely. Hold up, what's __this__?_

There was a message on the screen, indicating that an update was available.

_Do I want to install it? Donatello, this __has__ to be your doing. What on earth are you up to?_

He clicked the button to allow it, shifting onto his chest to wait while it downloaded. Roughly five minutes later, another message requested that the machine shut down, so that changes could be applied.

"Okay." Luke said out loud to himself, depressing the button to shut it off. After a few seconds had passed, he flipped it back on.

_Now what Donnie? What did you do to this thing?_

He waited. Nothing was immediately apparent, no flashing lights indicated that anything particularly useful had taken place. He started sifting through different menus on the scanner, looking for any new programs that could leap out at him.

All at once, an icon popped up on the main screen, in the distinct shape of an envelope.

_Hello Donnie. What's this?_

Luke clicked on it, sitting up further when it brought up a message field, containing three simple words.

**Friend or Foe?**

Luke laughed out loud.

_Brilliant Donnie. You never cease to amaze me._

It was Donatello's version of a "safe" question, something they'd worked out a response for several years ago. His fingers flew across the keypad, typing in the appropriate answer.

**I am who I am.**

With baited breath he waited, heart beating a little faster as he stared vapidly at the screen. Less than a minute later, a second message came through.

**Thanks for the scans - you gave me this idea.**

Luke laughed again, smacking the mattress with an emotion vaguely resembling joy.

**Are you close?** He sent back in Donatello's direction.

**Extremely, but we need help. Lots of security?**

**Unfortunately.** Luke sent in return.

**I need details Doc. Tell me everything that's happened, everything you've seen.**

Luke took a deep breath, settling back down on the bed.

**That could take all night Donnie, but I sure don't have anything better to do. If I don't get a chance to tell you in person, you guys are my heroes.**


	29. Spying

"So explain something to me." Jenna requested of Donatello, from her cross-legged position on the floor. "We have locaters in our phones, our watches, heck you guys even have them _inside_ of you. Why didn't you ever protect your scanners the same way?"

"The GPS signal interferes with the digital imaging software. They couldn't peacefully coexist." Donatello explained a little tongue in cheek. "Anyway - if they'd picked up on the signal coming off the scanner, the same way they did his watch...it would have been curtains for that too."

"Why does it sound like you just stepped out of a gangster movie?" She couldn't help asking, and he laughed.

"What could he tell you about_ inside_?" Marcus directed the conversation back to the subject at hand.

"Looking at somewhere between 25-30 guys, enough guns to start a militia, at least the way Doc tells it. They've got _him_wired up too, some device that would incapacitate him, even if he got an _opportunity_ to run. According to him, the men seem to rotate in shifts, guarding the outside a couple at a time, as well as keeping a warm body behind the monitors in Security.

His description of the _number_ of computers leads me to believe they're probably using some kind of a wireless network. Luke's going to to see if they'll let him get near the room today, some excuse about hooking up his scanner to one of the computers. He's not sure why Vale's let him hold onto it this long, or that he won't read something into what he's really trying to do."

"What is he trying to do Donnie?" Marcus asked. "Not getting himself into worse trouble I hope?"

"All wireless networks require some sort of key to access them Marc. It could be a word, a phrase...even just a series of numbers. If Luke can get access to their key somehow, then I could _potentially_ get free reign over their network."

"Is it that easy?" Jenna asked.

"Well, not particularly. Even if Doc could find out what they key is, I'm sure they have some kind of firewall protecting them too, and I'd have to get past it. I'm just crossing my fingers they've got it somewhere in plain sight."

"Genius, isn't there some way that we can screw with their cameras, even if you can't hack their network?" Raphael spoke up.

"Technically yeah, of course. But the problem is that they're being _monitored_, remember? Somebody's behind the computers at all times. If they start failing, they're going to know something's up, something's coming. We can't just run straight in there that way, not with that many guns in play. We have to be as unobtrusive as possible."

"But if we don't mess with the cameras, how can we keep 'em from _knowing_ we're coming?"

"We won't _shut _them down Raph, I can probably just _replace_ the images."

"Replace them with what?" Marc asked.

"They probably keep a back log, a digital record of old feeds. All I would have to do is replace the current live feed, with old information instead. It would likely take them awhile to figure out that they were looking at old material, longer than we'd really need to get in. This is all speculation of course, it hinges on getting access to their network first."

"Was this your idea for him to look for it, or his?" Jenna asked him.

"I told him about the key, but he's the one who insisted he was going to try and get it for me."

* * *

Luke had followed Donatello's instructions in shutting off the sound and message alerts on the medical scanner. If he was going to be letting that Stolle character get a closer look at it, he didn't want to risk the man stumbling onto their communication link. He had approached Vale that morning, forcing himself to remain completely steady, and maintain a careful eye contact.

"So what exactly is the purpose here?" Vale had asked coolly.

"The medical scanner that I use has the ability to link up to a desk-top computer. It would produce more detailed scans for the purpose of my continual study."

Vale peered at him for a long moment.

_I'm sure this serves your purposes more than it does mine Luke - but if you really want my man to have a closer look at the creatures that I'm harboring downstairs, I'm not going to stop you._

* * *

Luke had been sitting in the Security office with Stolle for more than two hours, tip-toeing around the subject of their scans with great caution.

"I find it curious that the first creature didn't suffer _worse_damage from that shock Vale gave him." Stolle said a little thoughtfully. "The setting goes quite a bit_ higher _than he used, but the mere duration of how long he kept it on should have injured him more than it did."

"I have a theory that the shell partially absorbed the charge." Luke told him. "It would explain why he didn't suffer an interruption in heart rhythm."

"I understand how the weapon operates Dr. Barrows, it was my own design, just like the band on your ankle. I would like to understand more about these particular inventions of_ yours_."

"They're my property Stolle, but they're by no means my_ inventions_. I'm strictly a medical professional, it's the only field I have any expertise in."

"You se, the problem I have with that Luke, is that fact that you possess technology that I've never even _heard_ of. You wore a watch that contained a tracking device, that would only be activated by your own willful choice. That leaves a lot of questions in my mind as to _who_ you are, and what it is you really do."

"You caught me." Luke said sarcastically. "I'm a super top secret government spy, who just happens to be moonlighting as a part-time emergency room physician in New York City."

Actually, he was grateful that the conversation had been shifted _away_ from the turtles for the moment.

_Now wait a minute, maybe I can play this up a little bit._

"Sometimes, the truth is stranger than fiction." Stolle remarked.

_Here is a man __looking__ for a conspiracy. I can go with this._

"Truth is such a relative term." Luke said with an evasive smile. "At the end of the day, why does my real identity hold any interest to you?"

"Your_ real _identity? It sounds like you readily admit that you're more than you appear to be."

"Aren't we all Stolle, much more than the feeble forms that we actually portray?"

"Where does your technology come from?"

Luke shrugged slightly. "When something is gifted, it is not always wise to ask questions. Where they come from holds no difference to me, only how they're capable of performing."

"And these creatures? Where do _they_ fit in to your true work?"

"I'm afraid I don't know what you mean."

"Why are they here _now_, if not because of you Doctor?"

"Too many questions are generally viewed as a job _killer _Stolle . I don't know anything about them - that's why I'm performing these studies." Luke finished evenly, letting his gaze flick across the room for the twelfth time that hour.

_Am I looking for something that simply isn't here?_

Stolle was shaking his head at him. "I don't know what the boss is thinking with you here Doc. If you were my responsibility, I'd have gotten rid of you a _long_ time ago on the side of the road."

"And there are so many things that you'd _never_ know." Luke said with a small smile, knowing full well that he'd captured the man's fascination.

Williams came to the door at that moment, motioning for Stolle to come and talk to him. The tech rolled away from the desk, turning to the oversized goon who was casually toying with his firearm.

_It'd be a shame if you accidently shot yourself in the foot._

It was the first time that Stolle had moved away from the desk, and the first complete view that Luke had managed to capture of the backboard. He quickly scanned over the posted documentation, wondering if it _could_ actually be that easy.

_Passwords, passwords...got a few here. What am I supposed to do, memorize them __all__? I don't think I have enough time for that. Come on, come on Barrows, I bet it's here __somewhere__...Whoa, okay...Network. No mention of a key, but that's the only one that even __refers__ to it._

He was running out of time, so he quickly broke the number up into two parts, repeating them through his mind several times as Stolle was returning.

"So Doctor...where we were exactly?" The man asked with a half smile.


	30. The Eyes See

Vale was actually occupied elsewhere for the moment, back down in the basement. He was alone with the creatures this time, come to try and satisfy some of his own curiosity about them. He had told none of his men of the watch he'd found on Michelangelo, definitely linking Luke to these strange beasts. Certain knowledge he preferred to keep to himself, so that it would _remain_ hidden.

_Worthless fools, all of them. Nothing more than a means to an end._

Vale had paused in front of Leonardo, sensing from his posture on the video feed that he remained the more vulnerable of the pair. The night before had taken a toll on the orange-masked one, but his blue gaze had yet to truly falter from him. The other, with the dark eyes...he refused to even look at him.

_He's guilty_, Vale thought with pleasure. _He does truly hold himself responsible for this. Compassion is such a useless emotion - all it does is expose your own weaknesses._

"Hello_ again _friend." Vale said, after he'd been standing in front of Leonardo for a few minutes. "I wonder if we could have words? I understand that you're not feeling very well, but my patience _does_ have it's limits."

The dark gaze at least met him, but he made no attempt to speak.

"Dr. Barrows tells me that this particular apparatus does not inhibit your speech. However, should you _remain_ silent, I may be forced to remove it as an incentive." Vale warned.

"Leave 'im_ alone_." Mike croaked from nearby. "I'm right here. Talk to me."

"But I have nothing to say to you for this moment." Vale said, casting a dangerous smile over his shoulder. "It is your _brother_ that I wish to address."

"What's your _purpose_?" Leonardo asked the man through a strained whisper.

"My purpose, my _intention_, is to find out how exactly the two of you were able to find us."

"You parked the dang truck in _public_." Leonardo replied, not much louder.

"That's true, I suppose." Vale allowed, one finger lightly tracing the line of Leonardo's jaw. "But that doesn't explain how you found your way to Hillsboro, or _why_."

"You've _got_ us, why does it matter?" Leonardo said evasively.

"When I become aware of a slow leak, I prefer to correct it before it becomes a major problem. Call it routine maintenance. Within our own circle, I perform it quite regularly." Vale told him.

"I'm _sure_ you do."

"So what I would like to find out from you _exactly_, is how you were able to track us down."

"You're just gonna have to wonder." He answered simply, and received a sharp blow across the cheek for it.

Vale removed the Oxi, resting a hand back on Leonardo's shell again.

"There now, don't want anything to happen to the Doctor's equipment, now do we? I didn't anticipate this going well, but some say that the free will is what separates us from the animals. I'm not exactly _certain_ how that would apply to you, but I thought it only fair to give you the chance."

Vale had not actually expected either of the creatures to open up to him about this particular matter, he was merely hoping that he could learn more about their natures through the crude exercise of interrogation.

Leonardo's position in the chains actually added to the difficulty he was having in breathing normally without the help of the Oxi. Simply maintaining the energy to physically_ lift _his chest so he could breathe was enough to utterly exhaust him.

Without warning, Vale struck him solidly across the face again, actually whipping his entire neck back with it that time.

"Leave him alone you _moron_!" Mike's voice sounded more desperate now than it did severe.

_Trying to divert already are we? No, it won't be that simple, _Vale thought a little smugly.

"Mike, _shut_ up." Leonardo heaved, and then forced eye contact with the man again, though he could only partially raise his chin.

"I'm _not _afraid of you." Leonardo told him.

_I see, it is a contest to see who can bait me __more__, _Vale thought gleefully._ I suppose I will simply be forced to satisfy both of you._

* * *

Donatello had been on his laptop for the last few minutes, ever since Doc had managed to forward the suggested key in his direction. He'd been rather ecstatic when it granted him access to their network signal, but now the real work was about to begin. Contrary to what his brothers believed, hacking through security fields and firewalls wasn't always the fastest process. It could require several attempts, at which point security on _their_ end could become aware of the onslaught taking place against them.

He was settled in for the long haul, prepared for a few hours of encryptions, data entries, and obstructions. What he wasn't prepared for was to actually _recognize _the firewall that Morello's people were using. He was so surprised at first that his mouth hung open for a few seconds, and then he laughed, harder than he had in _days_.

Raphael was alerted to it from outside, and poked his head through the open back doors.

"What's so funny genius? Is their security a joke?"

"No, no Raph, it's a fortress, it really is." Donatello said, hardly able to contain himself to get the words out. "I just don't think it will take me that long to get through."

"Why's that exactly?"

He couldn't help smiling comically as he replied. "It's _mine_."

"What are you talking about? Are you cracking up right now? Because I really don't think I could handle that."

"_No _Raph, the firewall is _mine,_ it's my program. I sold it to a software company like...two years ago maybe. Do you get what I'm telling you? These boneheads are protecting themselves with my own personal gatekeeper!"

* * *

Luke felt like bashing his _own_ head against the wall when Vale invited him back downstairs, to see how the man had spent part of the afternoon. The brothers _both _had wounds that were freshly bleeding, and Leonardo's oxygen levels were depleted from being without the Oxi for the span of about two hours. Luke felt like cursing the man to his face, shaking slightly to control his rage as he replaced the Oxi back over Leonardo's head.

"Vale, you keep this up, you're going to kill this one." Luke told the man.

"You seem to care a _great_ deal for these creatures Dr. Barrows." Vale said, in a dangerously calm way that he was so adept at pulling off.

"Nothing deserves to be treated this way! I've never known anyone that seemed to have such conflicting objectives before! I guess it makes sense in a twisted sort of way - keep me building them up, so you can keep tearing them down. I suppose it makes the process more _enjoyable_ for you?"

Luke didn't flinch at how close the man had come into range with him, for that singular moment he was beyond being intimidated - or so he thought. With a smooth motion, Vale shoved him against the cement foundation, lightly fingering the stun weapon that he favored in one hand.

"Please Doctor, pray _continue_. I would gladly listen to your perceptions concerning me."

_Shut your darn mouth Barrows! You still have to be __alive__ in order to be rescued!_

"Come now Luke - if you value your own health as much as you do that of your_ friends_, then you would do well to speak at this moment."

"My friends?" He repeated dumbly.

Vale depressed the trigger, and Luke was instantly captured in the electric current. The man only held the button for roughly the same amount of time that he had on Michelangelo, but Luke's level of endurance was no match for the turtle's. As he convulsed on the fringe of unconsciousness, Vale firmly kept his weight pinned against the wall.

"DOC!" Mike was unable to contain the cry of panic.

Vale cast a smile in the turtle's direction, and then slapped Luke hard across the face, in an attempt to clear the Doctor's head.

Heaving slightly, Luke hardly managed to focus on Vale, still containing no control of his muscles whatsoever.

"Your friends appear to _care _about you too." Vale said softly. "What kind of man do you take me for Luke? Did you really believe that I didn't know? Let's say we eliminate the fact that they tracked us down, and one of them wore a device that was incredibly similar to your own unique watch. Even the manner alone with which you've _treated_ them is evidence of your bond. I will hear no more of this foolishness.

But now, what was the matter at hand? Ah yes...perceptions. I wanted to hear _yours_."

Luke swallowed hard, as he leaned the device against his shoulder threateningly. "Why does it matter?" He asked under duress.

"_Answer_ the question Dr. Barrows, or you will see another demonstration."

"Control is the most important thing to you." Luke said quickly with a gasp. "You exercise power over people around you, to _physically_ subdue them when you have to. But your preferred method is manipulation - you enjoy forcing people into revealing things, without even being forced to ask for it. You push everyone around you to the very brink, until they're too amazed, too terrified, or too _dead_ to defy you. You spare love for _no one_, not even your own son. Your men aren't comrades, they're tools. None of them hold any particular value to you, that's why they're so easy to kill. Everyone is expendable."

Vale patted his shoulder lightly, what could have been a pleased smile gracing his features. "You're not like the men upstairs Luke - you're a passionate observer, I've seen that fact day in and day out. They see but a tiny fraction of the world surrounding them, but you and I? We understand the deeper meanings behind what our eyes _can't _see. It's a valuable trait Doctor, one that I highly respect. And out of that respect, I suppose you have been allowed to observe entirely too many things.

I find it only appropriate that you ought remain here now, along with your friends who gave up their freedom to try and save you. I will return to fetch you for Cartier's sake, but other than that, you should just make yourself comfortable Doctor." He finished, actually letting Luke go.

As he turned to go, he snapped up Luke's medical reader from the table. "I think you've had enough play time."


	31. Winding Down

Donatello had sent further messages to Luke that night, growing nervous when he didn't return any of them. Luke's last contact had come that afternoon, when he'd given Donatello the key to their network. Donnie had spent most of the day familiarizing himself with their system, and digging through old camera feeds. There a lot of different angles to look into, and synchronizing everything properly was going to be a _real _trick. It was nothing that he couldn't handle - it would just take some time to accomplish realistically. Donatello had also located the program that was controlling the monitoring software in Luke's ankle band.

_That won't be hard to deactivate, but I'm not going to risk touching it until we're just about to go in. Darn it Luke, where are you? Did they take the scanner away from you already? At least you helped me find an "in", but I still wish I could reach you._

"Donnie, what's wrong?" Jenna asked softly from the seat across from him.

"Hm?" He sounded distracted.

"What's wrong?" She repeated.

"I'm just working Jen." He told her, without looking up from the screen.

"You can't _fool _me Don, I'm your wife. I can tell by your shoulders when something's bothering you. You're making progress, aren't you?"

"Yes, no real issues finding the information that I need. It's going to take a couple of hours to set up a proper 'in house' decoy for all their cameras. I just haven't heard from Doc tonight, and I don't like it."

Jenna took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. "Do you have enough to go on here?"

"Doc gave me a good idea of the flow of the interior. There _are_ actually a couple of camera views available from inside the cabin too...I was going to start looking through those next."

"Can I see what you're doing?" She requested, coming over to sit by him.

"This first one...it's just been on an empty bedroom. Doesn't make very much sense in my opinion, but if I go backwards in the time line, it might explain what it's under surveillance for." Donatello told her. "Now...this other one...oh wow, it's darker. This is going to be a little bit harder. Let me see if I can clean this image up at all."

He spent a couple of minutes trying some things to adjust the picture and add a little more lighting effect, so he could tell exactly what he was looking at. Donatello peered intensely at the screen for a moment, as if willing something to appear before his very eyes, and _then_ it seemed that something had.

"Oh my God." Was the next thing out of his mouth.

"Donatello, what?"

"It's the basement, it has to be," Donatello said flatly. "Doc said that they were keeping Leo and Mike down there. Of _course_ it's under surveillance, why didn't I think of that sooner?"

"Can you actually see anything?"

"Let me just isolate something, and maybe...yeah, that ought do the trick."

The image was grainy, and there certainly wasn't very much lighting to work with, but he could definitely make out his brothers' dim outlines now. Doc had told him how they were being restrained, but it still infuriated him to see with his own eyes.

"Do you _see_ them?" Jenna asked again.

"Yes." He answered tightly. "They're down there. Looks like...they've got a couple of goons with 'em. I wish I was already set up to do this. I wanna get _after_ them already Jen!"

"Donnie, you've _got_ to stay calm right now. You have to finish so that it's _possible_ to go after them. Maybe you shouldn't be watching this feed."

Donatello exchanged a quick glance with her. "I'll be okay - but I won't be telling Raph about it, that's for sure. Whoa hang on, there's Doc! He's down there with them."

Seeing their long pursued quarry in the flesh had made Donatello's heart nearly stop, and an instant later, he was absolutely smoldering. One of the guards had hit the doctor in the stomach, even while he was watching. His fists clenched unconsciously, and he had to resist the serious urge to put a hole in something.

"I have to hurry up. We've_ got _to get inside." He fumed.

* * *

"Your good luck has just about run _out _Doc." Dalfour said directly into Luke's ear.

"Good luck?" The doctor gasped. "Is that what all this has been? I guess I really _ought_ be playing the lottery, with as great as these few days have worked out!" He finished sarcastically.

He received a heavy boot in the chest, which finished the work of completely winding him.

"You're still _alive_ Luke - you've practically been touched by an _angel _so far. That's about to change though - Vale said we could have some fun with you."

Dalfour glanced up suddenly as he heard a distinct snarl come from Michelangelo's direction.

"You got something you wanna say to me freak? D' you want some _more_ of this?"

"Sure you're _man_ enough to bring it?" Mike shot back.

Luke struggled upright off the basement floor, as the man wailed on on Mike's already fragile rib cage.

"_Stop it_!" Luke said as firmly as he could manage. "He's not the one who gave you so much trouble. If you've got reason to be angry with anyone, it's gotta be me."

The man whirled back around to face him, actually angered by the mere fact that Luke had gotten up so quickly. A vicious lunge to the eye laid the doctor out, so that lights and shapes were flashing in front of his face. As Dalfour moved to continue what he'd started, the other man strangely pulled him back.

"Take it easy Dalfour - Vale said a _little_ fun! He still needs him to be able to look after Cartier! You hurt him _too_ bad, and he'll be coming for your head next."

"I'm not afraid of him Hoff." Dalfour said stoically. "He ain't the real boss of us."

"Hasn't stopped him from killing anyone yet. If you're really so tough, why don't you pop back upstairs right now and say that to his face?"

Dalfour made a huffing noise as he turned away from Luke, but noticeably made no other reply to his partner.

"Yeah, that's what I_ thought_." Hoff said, shaking his head. "Just keep your head down, do as you're told, and the rewards will be unbelievable."

* * *

Raphael poked at some dying embers of their small fire, stirring them around with a stick absent-mindedly. He was supposed to be going to get some sleep now, that was what Donnie was doing. But the boy genius had a reason to be tired, he'd been up all night working; whereas Raphael had simply been _waiting_. He'd come to define it as his least favorite activity of all time. For him, there was no greater torture than to be this close to the prize, and to have to hold back from going after it.

"Raph?" Marcus said from his perch on top of a rock. "Shouldn't you be getting some rest already?"

"I'm going soon Marc." He assured him, letting the stick fall into the remains of the fire.

His hand traced the cold handle of one of the sai at his side. He lightly drew the weapon forth, needling it against the wood of the closest log to him.

_We ain't abandoned you guys, you gotta believe that. Hang in there, don't give up. We're __coming__._

* * *

Luke wouldn't allow self pity to rise from the cold night that he'd spent on the basement floor. One glance up at the turtles chained nearby was enough to curtail any attempt to feel sorry for himself. He'd been largely ignored after the small retaliation from the night before, which he had to admit he preferred, even though they had stopped allowing any food now. In the early afternoon one of the men had "gifted" him with a half full bottle of water, which he had in turn swiftly split between the brothers as evenly as he could. They seemed too exhausted too notice the fact that he hadn't taken any for himself first. They had to be getting weaker from lack of food, as well as not enough water.

_They're tough, but they sure can't keep this up forever. I'm sure Donnie's hacked their network by now though. And even if he couldn't, I know there has to be an attempt coming. I just hope that it doesn't spell certain death for all of us._

_Vale's gotta be pretty close to being done with me. He kept bringing up Cartier in front of the other men, as if I'm doing all these grand things for him...but he hardly let me __touch__ the man yesterday._

An unexplainable shiver coursed down his spine at that moment, as he leaned heavily against the wall.

_I wonder if I'll ever see the light of day again._


	32. Sinking

Raphael was so excited that he could hardly keep his shell in one single spot. It was late afternoon before he'd risen from a few hours sleep in the front seat, where he'd gone intentionally so Donnie would have the freedom to work in the back when _he_ woke up. When he'd re-joined Donnie that hour, he'd found his younger brother sitting erect, with a rather resolved look in his eye.

"Don't play with me Donnie, I can't stand to get my hopes up for no reason right now. You seriously think we can move _tonight_?"

"In a perfect world, I'd prefer to keep them under surveillance for a couple more days, get a better grip of their guard cycles. But something tells me that we can't _afford _to wait Raph. In one of those messages the other night, Luke told me that he had this sinking feeling, like something really weird is going on with Vale. A lot more than he's even letting on to anyone else. Doc knows they're not going to keep him around indefinitely in any case.

Besides that fact, they're being _hurt_, Luke included. Vale moved him down to the basement with the guys late yesterday, he's being kept down there too now."

"Wait, how do you _know _that genius? You said Luke didn't get back with ya last night."

"He hasn't. I got it directly off of one of their feeds, the basement is under surveillance too."

"Why didn't you tell me that first? How do they look? I wanna see 'em."

"It'll just tick you off Raph. For your own sake, I'd rather you didn't. I don't want to have to _restrain_ you again."

"I ain't a little kid here Donnie! They're my brothers too, and I wanna see them!"

"I will let you Raph, but not until later, when we're going to move. The point's not up for negotiation."

* * *

They had changed positions later in the day to get closer to the cabin, but remaining still safely out of sight for the time being. Donatello was taking the the time now to go over their objective with Jenna and Marcus, as well as give them some directions of their own.

"We need to operate under as much silence as possible, so I doubt we'll be able to communicate with the two of you after we really get rolling. I want you guys to stay put, and not move so much as a_ muscle _while we're gone. If all goes well, we'll get in contact with you the moment that we're clear. If, for some reason things go south, I'm going to activate the panic button on my watch. At that point, I would want you to turn the van around, call for help from the authorities, and head back to Hillsboro. Is that quite understood?" He said firmly, instantly surprised by the unusually _passive_ look in Jenna's eyes.

"If that's what you say Donnie, that's what we'll do," She told him, "But your shell had_ better _not push that button."

"We can't control everything going in Jen. I wish I could say it will be a cake walk, but it probably won't be." He said honestly.

"You actually expect us to turn the authorities on this place, with all of you guys in there?" Marcus said incredulously.

"Yeah Marc, we do." Raphael said bluntly. "If there's a chance in a million of Luke gettin' out alive, we're taking it. But believe me, I won't let Donnie hit that button without a _very_ good reason."

* * *

Kat could hardly sit still in one spot at this point either. She glanced at her firearm, lying forgotten on the coffee table. How long had it been since she'd actually strapped it on? She hated the thought of all the guns, and all of the _morons_ behind them holing up in that cabin. Still, she was grateful that Raphael and Donatello were the ones preparing to act. Experience taught her that situations like this one were difficult to diffuse through normal means, that an entire team of agents descending on the house would have likely only succeeded in getting the "hostages" killed.

It was so much easier to think about things rationally, when she was wasn't so emotionally vested. All she really wished at this moment was that she was going in with them, prepared to lay down cover fire if they needed it.

_But instead, I'm scratching around like a chicken without a roost._

Her phone rang from beside her firearm, and she picked it up without even checking who it was.

"James? What is _up_ with these friends of yours?"

"Hello to you too Greg. What are you talking about?"

"I swear, they've gotta have a death wish or something. Can't you get them under control?"

"As much as I can control a bolt of lighting Greg. I told you, they know what they're doing."

"_Do_ they? 'Cause I'm not so sure. The last time that I talked to that one, he sounded a little like they were resigned to their own fate. Do you have any idea what they're doing right now?"

Katherine hesitated. "They feel like they're running out of time Greg. They're going to move in tonight."

"_Tonight_?! I don't suppose they were going to mention that to me, were they?"

"What difference does it make?"

"It makes every difference James! I told you I was going to do everything I could to get Luke back!"

"You have Greg - you helped lead them to the place they needed to find."

"And two of 'em got_ caught _because of it! They're in over their heads James. I don't suppose _you_ can tell me where they are?"

"That's not my place Greg - they're adults. If they wanted you to find them, they would have told you exactly how."

"I don't get all the secrecy James! There are lives on the line here, why can't somebody get real for five seconds?"

"Not everyone has the luxury." Katherine said automatically. "I appreciate everything you've done Greg. You're the best partner a girl could ever ask for. But I have to trust my friends on this."

* * *

Luke had dozed for what brief time spans he could afford throughout the day. In the late evening, Vale had come to get him again. This time the man had left him in with Morello, actually allowing him to remain for over an hour so far. Luke took that time to complete as thorough an exam of the man's body as he could. Vale had not returned his scanner, and without it he felt a little bit blinded.

_I bet that Stolle is __still__ trying to get it turn on. That guy is an absolute buffoon. He's wasting his time trying to override Donnie's safety measures. I sure wish I had it back though._

Without the machine, he was reduced to seeing only the outward physical symptoms that Cartier was displaying. The rashes at the sights of where Derik had been injecting him were spreading, having progressed now further than they had two days ago. The real problem with the other issues he was displaying was the fact they could all be masking a number of different things.

He could be looking at a full blown overdose on Diprivan, but he could just as much be looking at a different infection rearing it's ugly head. He was in no position to perform any kind if lab work to test for the presence of bacteria.

_Why is Vale keeping me here longer than before? I wonder if Derik has royally screwed something up. His breathing was a little labored before, but it's gotten worse even in the last hour. Even his heart rate...it's reduced from a few minutes ago. I don't like the look of where this is heading, the man probably needs to be on oxygen._

Luke knocked firmly on the door to the outside, merely hoping to get the guard's attention. But when it opened, he was faced with Vale instead.

"Something's happening with him Vale, he needs additional support. If you could allow me to use my scanner, I think _he_ would appreciate it tremendously."

Vale said nothing for a moment, simply closed himself into the room _with_ Luke.

"Being completely honest, he's going downhill here." Luke persisted. "If you want me to_ save _him, you should allow me every tool in my arsenal."

Vale smiled at him, in the knowing sort of way that he was incredibly tired of.

"Have a seat Doctor - we'll just watch him together, you and I."

"Vale, he needs prompt treatment! I have to figure out what's causing this, so I know what to do for him."

"Sit _down_ Doctor." He said more forcefully.


	33. Pawns

Luke hadn't said a single word in fifteen minutes, waiting to see exactly what Vale's game was here. When the man still didn't speak or let Luke move from his spot, he finally spoke up himself.

"There are a lot of different things that could be going on here Vale." He said quietly. "Honest to God, this isn't just an attempt to get my scanner back from you. His breathing is getting a lot worse, and sitting here is accomplishing nothing. I think he's dying right in front of us."

"That is my sincerest hope Doctor." Vale replied, with the coldest tone to date.

That idea that he wouldn't be disappointed by Morello's death was not shocking to Luke in the least - but the fact that he readily told him so spelled certain disaster.

"It would have been _easier_ of course, if he could have simply followed in his father's illustrious tradition. But in this life, things are not often handed to you in such manner." Vale continued.

Luke's hand brushed over the table, picking up the _empty _bottle of Diprivan. "You've been drugging him, just enough to keep him docile. And now you're forcing an overdose, aren't you?"

"I believe the correct medical terminology is _cardorespiratory depression_, is it not?" Vale suggested.

"But you...but...I don't understand. Of _course_ you wanted him out of the way this entire time. But then why did you go to the trouble of dragging _me_ into this, risking getting caught? If you were just going to kill him anyway, why am I here?"

"I'm not killing him Doctor." Vale said ironically. "_You_ are."

_Now_ Luke was taken aback.

"Are you insinuating that you put me through all this, _just _so you could frame me for his murder? That could be the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. What made me you search me out specifically? You have no problem throwing your men away - why not use one of them?"

"Surely you can grasp the situation better than that Luke - we've talked extensively about perceptions after all. 'We are either kings or pawns of men', Napoleon Bonaparte said that. The truth of that statement is that we do have the ability to _choose_ where our own standing lies, if in fact we are bold enough to do so. Many a ruler has been overthrown by men who were actually much lesser than they, because they ceased to use the senses that they were born with. A king may appear to hold all of the cards, but pawns are still a necessary evil in order to run any kind of empire.

It is not enough for me to remove the current ruler from position, not without creating the perception that I am the most capable man to replace him. I had to maintain the illusion that I would go to any length, any distance to act on the man's behalf. As useless as an individual pawn may seem in the greater scheme of an empire, their _united _loyalty and fear are still required in order to lead them.

Napoleon also said that men are moved by two levers only - fear, or self interest. Such is very much the case in every individual you have met in these last few days Doctor. With their fear and loyalty secured, there will be none to oppose me from taking my rightful place. Some could grieve at the passing of a so called_ legacy_, but I find it a better tribute to allow the Morellos' to rest in peace. Out of the ashes of their failed endeavors will rise a new empire, both _stronger_, and yet more subtle in it's deceit."

Luke could only stare at the man for a long moment after the speech, and then only managed two words.

"You're _certifiable_."

"On the contrary Doctor - I'm a man who knows what he wants, and has learned how to obtain it."

* * *

Luke watched the minutes tick by in horrified silence after that, listening to the death throes of Cartier's breathing. Vale didn't seem so inclined as to go anywhere, not until the man had passed away before their very eyes. It was the most uncomfortable experience Luke had been through so far.

_I wonder how he'll get rid of me? Will he do it himself? Turn me over to his men? Will he wake them tonight to break the news, or will I actually have a chance to see the guys again? I wish they'd __never__ found me. What an incredible waste, that they would have to die, just because I got caught up in all this junk._

His fevered thoughts were interrupted by Vale's hand suddenly gripping his knee.

"Are you going to pronounce him Doctor?" He said with some amusement.

Luke glanced up instantly, seeing no physical sign that Cartier was breathing at all. He got up a little unsteadily to check his other life signs. With a feeling like lead in his stomach, he met Vale's piercing gaze.

"He's dead. Now what happens to me and my friends?" Luke said bluntly.

Vale sat back in his chair for a long moment, thoroughly enjoying the fact that Luke had asked the question.

"You know Luke, you actually have your _friends_ to thank for your own prolonged stay here. I was prepared to remove you days ago, when their intervention interrupted the process. Though I find them somewhat interesting, I must admit to you that I have no real purpose in retaining them. I don't actually_ care _who they are, or where they came from. The only thing that still requires my attention, is how on earth they were able to find us to begin with.

They had help from your tracking device in the beginning, but it was cut off at an appropriate time that _should_ have rendered them powerless to relocate you. And yet, two_ days _after we pulled into Hillsboro, there they were. I suppose it is really time that we returned to them, isn't it? You and I have things to discuss, and it will greatly concern their own futures. Come Doctor, leave our _beloved_ leader to his decay."

* * *

Vale's firm grip on his neck was incentive enough for Luke, not to blurt out to the men in the hallway that Cartier was already dead.

_None of them would ever believe my word against his - what would speaking up at this point really accomplish anyway? They're dead set on killing me already, whether I do anything wrong or not._

Vale maneuvered him back towards the stairs of the basement, greeting the two guards waiting at the bottom.

"Kizirnis, you're dismissed." Vale said evenly. "Williams, take your position at the door, keep watch over the course of this evening. I have work of my _own_ to do here, and I don't wish to be disturbed."

The men moved swiftly to obey, and Luke took a shaky step forward into the darkness. He froze in his stride when he saw that Leonardo and Michelangelo had been gagged again, and then he looked at Vale.

"What are you doing with them?" He asked.

"I don't want their _mouths_ diverting you from our true purpose here Doctor. I am now quite certain that you have knowledge of where our leak lies. For _their _sake alone, it would do you well to stop holding out on me. I will find out one way or another, but it would cause them to suffer much less along the way, if you were only a little cooperative." Vale told him, taking a long drink from a bottle of water he'd picked up in the kitchen. "Thirsty Luke? Do you suppose they are too? You know, there are much more painful ways to die than from a gunshot. I can prolong their suffering for many days, if that would be your choosing. But I'm going to leave that entirely up to you."


	34. On the Move

Donatello had just finished deactivating Luke's ankle monitor through his hijacked link into the network. Now with the camera diversion set-up to launch, he hesitated for a beat of silence.

_Here goes nothing, I guess. We have to make this work, or I __doubt__ we'll get another shot at it._

He clicked a final button, and was now in control of everything that their security views were displaying. There was a light knock on the back door of the van, and Raphael pulled it open a second later.

"Well? Are we goin' genius?"

"Cameras are diverted...Luke's stun mechanism has been disarmed. That's about all I can do from here." Donatello said.

He closed his laptop, and came over to meet Raphael. Jenna and Marcus were waiting just outside the doors for him as well.

"You know what to do if you have to." Donatello said firmly to the humans. "Otherwise, stay here, stay out of sight. There are no questions about any of this?"

"No Donnie," Marcus said, as if already holding his breath. "You guys just _watch_ your shells, and please come _back_."

Jenna was staring at Donatello silently, but her light blue eyes were verily pleading with him to hold her. Donnie wrapped both arms around her for a long moment, running a hand lightly through her dark hair that always seemed to remind him so much of silk. Neither spoke for that instant, and then the woman initiated a lingering kiss. When Donatello had to pull away, she clung to his hand for a moment longer.

"I'm counting on you to come back to me Donnie. Be careful - don't take anything for granted in there." She tried very hard to say, _without_ letting tears rise to the surface.

* * *

Donatello and Raphael moved through the trees like wraiths, in a manner that would have been completely undetectable to an untrained eye. The moon above them was mostly shrouded in clouds, but the cold wind whipped them by swiftly, so that an occasional sliver of light was visible. They hesitated for a minute on the edge of the cabin's property, glancing at one another for final thoughts.

"Silence Raph." Donatello reminded him softly. "We have to operate invisibly."

"I know we can't afford to wake the whole house genius - I'll do my best, on my honor. Let's do this, huh?"

Raphael held out his fist to Donatello in the darkness, and his brother responded by bumping it lightly.

* * *

Lewis yawned from his perch on the porch steps, shivering just a little as the wind picked up again. He never understood why having physical bodies outside was even necessary, what with the surveillance _already_ in place. The constant all seeing monitors seemed like they should be more than enough. He rested one arm wearily on his knee, his sidearm sitting beside him on the steps.

His partner Morgan was pacing, rubbing both hands together in an attempt to generate a little more warmth. It was too cold for a Spring night.

The distinct snap of a twig captured both of their attention, and Lewis sat up a little further at once.

"That sounded awful close by." He commented to Morgan. "I think it came from around the side of the house."

"Betcha it's just some critter, or Stolle would have been _crowing_ already." Morgan smirked. "The man has to be the most paranoid son of a gun alive. I'm surprised he ever _leaves_ that room."

"Wanna have a look at least?" Lewis suggested. "It beats sitting here in any case. Maybe I'll get some feeling back in my legs."

"Aw, quit your whining Lewis. If it'll make you happy, let's go catch the raccoon or whatever it is. Maybe we could have some fun with it - I've always wanted to make one of those _hats_."

"You'd look ridiculous in one."

"_You_ look ridiculous period. On your feet man, it ain't_ that _cold out here."

The two sauntered around the side of the cabin, flashlights sweeping in a wide arc, searching for the tell-tale flash of some animal's eyes looking back at them. Their hands weren't even on their weapons - neither of them were the least bit concerned, just curious. The beam of Morgan's flashlight suddenly landed on an odd shape he couldn't identify, and he reached out to stop Lewis from going any further.

"Man, _somethin's_ out there."

"Out where Morgan? Are you that spooked already?"

"I'm telling you, I _saw_ something a second ago, and now it ain't there, it's gone!"

"Seeing things that ain't there?" Lewis said with a shake of his head. "I'm not sure sentry duty is for you my friend."

"I'm tellin' you, there was--"

Morgan never got to finish the statement, cut off as a strong hand yanked him by the hair from behind, and crashed his skull directly into his partner's. Both men went down hard in that simultaneous moment, and Raphael crouched over them to make certain that they were really out. He made swift work of zip-tying their hands and feet, while Donnie made his way back to his side.

"_Nice_ distraction bro." Raphael whispered to him, as Donatello was pulling a roll of tape off his belt.

"Let's gag 'em too Raph, we can't afford any noise when they come around. We can stow them in the bushes or something. Do either of them have keys on their person?"

Raphael paused to search both men, while Donatello tore a couple of strips of tape to sufficiently silence them.

"Here we go Don." Raph came up with keyring that had been on Lewis' belt, handing it over to him.

They stashed the men out of sight, and slowly circled the cabin to approach it from the porch. Donatello carefully matched up the correct key to the door, as Raphael unscrewed the light bulb from the single illuminating factor.

* * *

Stolle was a little bored at the moment, randomly surfing through some of the internet news of the day. When he didn't find what he was really looking for, he typed a couple of key words into a search engine, smiling when he got the results he was hoping for.

_FBI finds no new leads concerning New York City murder, and mystery kidnapping. Those idiots bought the whole mini-van switch hook, line, and sinker._

As he lined the story down to look at something else, he noticed the flashing light on the screen, security sensors indicating that the front door had just been opened.

"Is that you Lewis?" He called out a little teasingly. "Are you and Morgan having a lovely night in the arctic?"

There were certain advantages to being tech guru - and never having to stand guard outside in the cold or the rain was one of them.

Stolle settled back to relax further in his chair, having never once taken his eyes off of the computer monitor. As he was just about to click on another story, he felt an odd rush of air sweep over his head.

Donatello had whipped his bo directly over him, bringing it to rest firmly under the man's chin. He exerted enough pressure with the weapon to effectually render the man unable to speak, and to cut off his air supply.

"I guess you're _Stolle_, aren't you?" He whispered dangerously into his ear. "I was _hoping _I'd find you. I should warn you Stolle, I don't like it when people screw with my technology. It makes me angry. Almost as angry as when they screw with my_ family_."

Frightened gasps shuddered from the man's throat, as his fingers grappled to remove the obstruction bearing down to hard on him. It was an immovable force.

"Some questions are job killers Stolle, you'd do well to remember that." Donatello reminded him a little mockingly, then withdrawing his bo, only to knock the man firmly upside the head.

As Stolle slumped forward, Donatello drew both of his arms back around the chair, binding his wrists together, and used a power cord lying forgotten nearby to finish lashing him to the chair. Gag firmly in place, he pushed the man into the closet, rolling desk chair and all.

If Raphael _had_ eyebrows, he would have raised them a little as Donatello came out.

"What happened to_ stealth _mode genius?" He whispered.

Donatello gave him a small scowl. "_Nobody_ breaks my stuff, and gets away with it."

"I _like_ it when you get angry Donnie."

"Then you're gonna _love_ me if I catch up with Vale."

"Only if_ I _don't get to him first Donatello."

"May the fastest turtle win Raph."


	35. Tipped Off

Luke's head was spinning. It would be easy enough to simply tell Vale that the FBI had information that could potentially lead them directly here, but passing said knowledge along seemed like it would spell certain death for all three of them. The men would undoubtedly want to move out at once, and he could _bet_ they wouldn't be leaving any evidence behind for the cops to follow up on.

_So we're basically up a creek here. If I don't tell him, he's going to kill us all. If I __do__ tell him, he's going to kill us all. But the longer I can stall this whole process, the more time I provide for the guys outside to act. Something about torture has never seemed very appealing to me, but it doesn't sound like I'm going to get a choice in the matter. If I tick him off enough, maybe he'll focus on __me__._

At the same time that Raphael and Donatello had been working on their grand entrance, Vale had only started warming up with Luke.

"I find it rather humorous, how the three of you have attempted to protect one another so _valiantly_. But I'm not interested in listening to any shameless baiting tonight Doctor." He finished a little threateningly. "This night marks a new chapter, in many different ways. In a few hours time, everything I have worked for in the last ten years, the dream will finally be realized. You can talk, or choose not to for the moment Luke. You know very well that I sincerely enjoy breaking people. No one, not even _you_, can withstand me forever."

* * *

Donatello and Raphael snaked their way down the hallway, moving silently into the open Common area. The television set was on quietly in the background, providing the only light in the otherwise darkened space, where two men were sleeping on sofas opposite one another.

Donnie motioned with his head toward one, and Raphael smoothly moved toward the other. With couch cushion in hand to muffle him if needed, Donatello dispatched the first one quietly, while Raphael was moving in on the second.

But rather than striking the man right away, Raphael needled the point of one of his sai under the man's chin to wake him up, slapping a strong hand over his mouth when he awoke with a start.

"Welcome to your worst nightmare." He said with a soft hiss, intentionally leading the man to believe that he would actually slit his throat.

The man's eyes went wide, a muffled gasp sounding behind Raphael's hand, and the turtle hit him solidly in the face.

"What was _that_?" Donatello asked softly.

"_You_ can play and I can't?"

"_Touche_." Donatello answered. "Let's quit wasting time."

They bound both men, and swiftly got them out of sight. As Raphael dropped his into the wood box that usually housed spare fire logs, he cast Donatello a crooked grin.

"Kinda feels like we're playing a hyped up game of hide and seek, doesn't it?"

"You sound like Mikey right now."

"Won't happen again genius - I promise. Where we headed?"

"There's the kitchen Raph - Luke said that the basement was through there. I'm sure there's a couple of guys outside, so let's be careful now."

* * *

Williams hated overnight duty as much as the next guy, but at least it would give him an excuse to sleep late tomorrow. He was a little weary of standing in one place, _and_ getting hungry again. Dinner had been a good six hours ago by now. He couldn't be expected to stay awake on an empty stomach this way. He wandered away from the door leading to the basement, taking his time to rummage through the cupboards, not finding anything that he particularly wanted.

Then he turned to the fridge, and spent the following five minutes with the door open, trying to make up his mind about what he was really hungry for. He was reaching far in the back to grab the covertly hidden leftover roast beef, when the handle of one of Raphael's sai met the back of his head.

The turtle caught the man swiftly before he could fall and make any noise, laying him down on his stomach on the kitchen floor so that he could restrain him.

"Boy, he takes longer to make up his mind than Mike does." Raphael commented, as he shoved the prone man underneath the table.

"Great hiding place Raph."

"What do you suggest, the oven? We can't make all of 'em disappear into thin air. You sure you didn't see anybody else?"

"No, he was alone. Took long enough for him to get his back turned though, didn't it? There could be more downstairs, we have to be prepared for that."

"I'm ready if you are."

* * *

While the turtles had been working their way through the Common area, Vale had been preparing to begin the true submission process. He grabbed Luke by the shoulder, guiding him roughly into a metal chair. He had a pair of manacles in his hand, clearly intending to bind the man before he began. But as Vale pulled up his pant leg to get access to his feet, a curious sight drew his attention. The glowing _green_ light on Luke's ankle monitor, indicating that the device had been deactivated.

He straightened upright at once, an odd look crossing his eyes that Luke didn't understand in the least. The doctor had no idea that the guys were planning on coming tonight, much less that the device on his ankle was no longer operating.

Without saying a word to him, Vale struck him hard over the back of the head, and dragged Luke and the chair away from the gagged turtles, into the darkness across the room. Once in place, he withdrew his radio.

"Stolle?" He said questioningly, waiting a few seconds for good measure. "Lewis?...Morgan?"

No one was answering, and Vale was nobody's fool. It occurred to him at that moment that he hadn't heard from Williams for awhile either, and the man usually moved like an elephant plowing through a jungle. Without hesitation, he snatched his cell phone to call someone else upstairs.

"Dalfour?" He said when the man answered. "I have a strong feeling that we have been compromised. Get yourself and the men up, and secure the premises. Nothing comes in, nothing goes out. If you see anyone or _anything_, shoot first, questions later. No, I have the basement secure, just take care of the rest of the property."

Then he settled back to wait - and he wasn't going to have to hold on for very long.


	36. Submission

Donatello led the way silently down the steps, his heart racing a little bit. After noticing that there were no guards in sight, Raphael pushed him to go faster. Only the single light bulb over the bottom of the staircase illuminated the space, but Donatello still managed to catch sight of his brothers, chained against the wall to the right of where they'd come down. With a sharp gasp he turned to Raphael.

"Watch my back Raph, keep an eye out that nothing's coming. I'm going to start getting them loose."

"Where's Doc?" Raphael asked immediately.

"I don't know - he must be upstairs. That one bedroom, the one they have under surveillance, I bet they took him back there. We're already_ here_, so let's deal with them, and then we can go after _him_."

As Donatello approached his younger brother with a small sense of relief, Michelangelo struggled to get his head upright, a wide-eyed panic stricken look flying in Donnie's direction.

"It's okay Mikey," He told him softly. "I'm gonna get you down."

Rather than calming him, the statement caused the turtle to start straining desperately against his chains, muffled cries hardly making themselves heard from behind the duct tape.

"Don't _struggle _Mike, you could hurt yourself more. Just give me a second to work on this." Donatello admonished him quietly.

Raphael was focused on the stairway, and anything that could possibly be coming down. They didn't notice or hear anything from the corner behind them, until another light suddenly popped on overhead. Both turtles turned swiftly in that direction, falling into defensive postures, as Vale crossed his arms with a wide smile.

"Marvelous, are we _all _here now? I'm so grateful you could go to _so_ much trouble to come here tonight my friends."

He didn't sound at all upset or surprised to see them, although it was clear that there were no other guards with him. Luke's description of him left no doubt in Donatello's mind who this man was.

"_Vale_." He said so softly that only Raphael heard it.

Raphael firmly tested his fist against his open palm. "The face of evil _appears_? We're gonna get to call this a good night after all."

The man was holding a hand-gun, which he curiously hadn't actually pointed at them yet. As both brothers looked about to lunge his direction, Vale help up a cautious hand to steady their positions.

"Aren't you _forgetting_ about someone?" He laughed. "Perhaps the very reason that you tracked us all the way here to begin with?"

Vale moved slightly to one side, so they could both see Luke, just now stirring with a soft groan from his unexpected attack. Vale seized Luke by the back of the neck, and jerked him roughly to his feet with his firearm planted against his forehead.

"How very _nice _of you to re-join us Doctor, your timing is impeccable." Vale said non-chalantly, his eyes never leaving the strangers. "Luke, do you think you could help me to convince my new friends how _serious_ I am at this moment?"

The one in purple held out both arms cautiously toward him. "Vale, let him go _now_, and I promise we won't kill you."

"Speak for _yourself_ Donnie!" Raphael protested, and Vale laughed again.

"Put _your_ weapons down now, or I _will_ kill him." He told them very calmly.

Neither made any immediate move towards obeying, or advancing.

Vale could now hear the footsteps of his men moving around upstairs, and he nodded approvingly towards the ceiling, trying to call their attention to it. "Do you _hear_ that my friends? That is the sound of two dozen of my men, armed, with orders to shoot on sight anything that moves."

"How do you know we ain't already taken _out_ half of 'em?" Raphael threatened.

"Because _that _would have created more of a ruckus than you really wanted to." Vale said smoothly. "I expect you only dealt with those in your immediate path, having no desire to bring the entire household down on yourselves at once. Even if you _were_ able to overpower me now without Luke being mortally wounded, you will not escape the cabin. There is only _one_ way out of this basement, and it is up those stairs. You would have a hard enough time getting _yourselves_ out alive, much less your brothers or your friend here. It's simply not going to happen. Now_ do _as I said, and lay down your weapons."

Without a spoken word they slowly dropped them, neither taking their eyes off of Vale or the gun.

"You," Vale said, briefly pointing the barrel in Donatello's direction. "Take off the backpack, and both of you get down on your knees. _Do it._"

Donatello carefully shrugged out of the straps, keeping his hands in sight of the man at all times as he kicked the bag away. Then with serious hesitation, he and Raphael dropped to the floor as ordered.

Donatello was not in a position to feel like he could argue - Luke had told him _enough_ about Vale for the turtle to understand that he would most certainly follow through on his threat to kill him.

"_Now _Doctor, if you would be so kind, we have a couple of sets of manacles that were leftover from bringing the first two down. I would appreciate it if you would bind my new friends for me."

"_Kill_ me Vale - I won't do it!" Luke said through clenched teeth, shaking from both anger _and_ fear, as the man pulled him around by the throat, his gun pressing even harder against his forehead.

"Yes, you _will_ Luke. If I have to call the others down here to help me, I am quite certain some guns will be going off, and _somebody_ is going to die. I must be able to contain them, or I cannot keep them _alive_, understood?"

"Doc, _please_ just do what he says." Donatello spoke up, voice wavering just a little, even as he couldn't keep from thinking, _My word guys, I'm so sorry. Jenna..._

"Shall I call them Doctor, or are _you_ able to perform this little task for me?" Vale pushed the man.

With the cold metal reminder never departing his skin, Luke bent down to pick up the restraints that Vale had indicated to, and then the man shoved him in Donatello's direction. Luke met Donatello's brown eyes mutely, as the turtle allowed him to bind his hands behind his back, without any kind of resistance. Vale forced him to follow up with his ankles, so that he wouldn't be able to so much as move from that kneeling position.

Luke barely had a chance to mouth that he was sorry to him, before Vale yanked him upright away from Donatello.

"Now the _other_ Doctor."

This one had Vale a little more on edge, but he faced the turtle down coolly. Whereas the other seemed resigned to the fact that Vale had the upper hand, the red-banded one's expression gave no indication of his "willful surrender". He had the distinct impression that the turtle's gaze alone would have killed him, if it were physically possible. Vale saw his muscles tense, sensing that he was about to try and spring towards them. He hauled Luke backwards quickly as the turtle leaped to his feet, and then smashed the barrel of his gun over side of Luke's head hard enough that it made his ears ring.

"_Desist_ creature." Vale said in a quietly dangerous tone. "I understand that you do not know me well, so I am telling you now that you will not get another warning like this one. Luke, can you try to convince your friend that I honestly would not _mind_ killing you, if only to spite him?"

"_Alright!_" Raphael cried immediately. "I'm done - leave him alone!"

"Very good - then we can proceed." Vale said, as if he hadn't even been rattled.

Raphael retreated to the ground, frustrated beyond belief, but unwilling to force the man to kill Luke right in front of their eyes.

As Luke bound him under Vale's watchful eye, Raphael shot Donatello a look, and nodded grimly.

Donatello only blinked in response. His finger was already in position to hit the button on his watch.


	37. Gate Crashers

*Kids, don't try any of this at home.

* * *

Jenna had _already_ been sitting tensely behind the wheel of the van - and that was _before_ Donatello's watch went off. Marcus exchanged glances with her, immediately seeing the dogged look of determination wash over her.

"Fasten your seat belt Marcus." She said automatically.

"Donatello's directive is about to go out the window, isn't it?"

"If you wanna get out,_ there's _the door!"

"I'm not sayin' that Jenna, but we have to get some kind of plan here! We're not even armed, we could end up making things _worse_!"

"Marc, if you're scared, you don't have to come with me." She shot back immediately.

"That's not the _point_ Jenna!" Marcus exclaimed, angrily slamming his foot down in frustration. The hollow sound that had just emitted from where his foot landed reminded him of something instantly. "Wait a minute. I've got an _idea_!"

He instantly scrabbled around on the floor underneath the dashboard, searching for the release for the storage compartment.

"Marc, what are you _doing_?"

"Raph told me that they keep refill tanks of chemicals in here! There might be something we can use to...BINGO. _Halothane_. Now we're in business!"

"To do _what_ Marcus?"

"Drive Jenna, just drive! There ought be at least a couple of Oxi's in the glove box. This could work, it actually_ could_."

"I think I'd better call my Mom."

"_Now_ Jenna?"

"I might not get another chance! I can't do that to her."

"I could go on my own Jen, you don't have to."

"My _family_ is in there - I'm not running away Marc! Just do whatever you've got to, and get those tanks ready. I'll handle the talking."

Victoria picked up on the first ring - none of the girls were asleep. They knew Donatello and Raphael were making their attempt tonight, and no one would rest until they knew about the outcome.

"Yeah, Mom? We need to talk for a second."

"Have you heard anything? What's going on?" She asked immediately.

"We haven't heard from them, but Donnie sent me his abort signal. Marc and I are about to do something really desperate, and if I don't get another chance to say it, I wanted you to know how much I love you."

"Jenna, I--"

"Mom, don't try to talk me out of it, I don't even have time to listen."

"No honey, I just wanted to say that I love you too! I don't know what you're doing, and something tells me I don't _want_ to know! But I have no right to tell you to abandon them!"

As Marc was re-tightening a valve on one of the tanks, Jenna glanced at him.

"April wants to talk to you." She told him, and he took the phone from her, swallowing a little bit.

"Hello?"

"Marc, please try not to kill yourself - I was rather hoping you would be coming home."

"April, listen. This trip has opened my eyes to a couple of things. If we _make_ it back, I promise, things are going to be different. I'm going to make more time, I just want to be with you. I know I've been so distracted--"

"Marcus, I _love_ you. Don't give me the 'sorry' speech right now. Just do what you can to come back in one piece, alright?"

"I'll do my best April - I love you too. Okay, I'm already sort of fearing for my life the way Jenna is driving here, I'd better get off."

"We're praying for you."

As he hung up the phone and gave it back to Jenna, she sent him another look.

"Will the tanks work, do you think?"

"They ought, but we're going to have to release them manually. I know there's some button around here that would deploy it directly from the vehicle, but we can't go punching everything, 'cause we don't know what they do! I suppose I should read the manual on this thing sometime."

"That'd be nice, but there's no time now. Do we have Oxi's?"

"Yes, here, go ahead and take yours."

The cabin was already in sight, and Jenna was tearing down the gravel road like a bat out of hell.

"What exactly are your intentions here Jen?"

"I told you to buckle up for a reason. Somehow, I don't think strolling up all nicely to these armed men would end well for us Marc, chemicals or not."

As she jumped the road onto the grass, he braced both arms firmly to help give him support.

"Jenna, please don't kill us before _they_ do!"

"If this doesn't play out well, it's been nice knowing you Marc."

"Likewise!" He said a little shakily.

* * *

Luke was taking very _deliberate_ slow breathes. He knew what he needed to do, but he had to have a semblance of calm in order to do it. Leonardo's voice was faintly reminiscent in the back of his mind, patiently explaining things in the way that he was so talented in doing.

_"Fear can help you or hinder you Luke. You can't put it out of your mind entirely - but you are capable of forcing it to work for your advantage, instead of against you. A lot of people shut down when they're in a bad spot they can't escape from. Panic and desperation are a natural response. But you can __choose__ to respond differently to it, allowing your fear to channel awareness into all your other senses._

_Eyes open, ears alert for every opportunity. You probably won't get more than one chance - but the likelihood of getting an opportunity to effectively act against your opponent still exists. So I don't want you to focus on fear, I want you to be completely __aware__ of everything that's going on around you. Look, listen, __feel__. And the very instant that you see an opening, you've got to take it. Don't pass it up, don't hesitate, not when your life or someone elses' is on the line."_

Leonardo had been right - Luke couldn't put fear entirely out of his mind, but neither was he going to stand here and _let _Vale hurt his friends. He wore an indiscernible expression outwardly, that someone might have mistaken for a blank look. Actually, he was concentrating harder than he ever had before. Vale's hand so far had not once allowed the gun to falter from his temple, and he couldn't make any physical move against him until it did.

"It would be nice for the two of you to join our discussion that was already in progress." Vale said to Donatello and Raphael. "We were _just_ about to talk about how the four of you were able to track us - and now I am _doubly_ curious to hear how you were able to locate our cabin in the wild."

"You _slowed_ us down Vale, but you sure didn't stop us." Raphael spat contemptuously.

"Yes, that is a mistake that I must live with, for the quality of men that I am forced to keep. It is so difficult to find decent help." Vale said with a slight smile.

In the moment that he was _about _to continue, an earth shattering explosion sounded overhead of them, so loud that it stunned nearly everyone at once. Nearly. When Vale lurched slightly out of reflex, Luke felt the barrel of the gun leave his forehead, and reacted instantly.

He performed the following motion almost faster than anyone could blink, wrapping his right hand firmly around Vale's firearm, so that his thumb neatly covered the trigger guard, then pulling up sharply so that the weapon would be facing _away_ from him. With his left arm he hammered down on the wrist of Vale's gun-hand, while twisting violently with his right to effectively wrench the weapon away from him. In a span of about three seconds, the gun was in Luke's control.

Vale was stunned, but his smile recovered quickly.

"_Impressive _Luke - I doubt there are too many doctors who could have pulled that maneuver off!"

The man was slowly edging away from him, backing in the direction of Leonardo and Michelangelo, as Luke raised the weapon to cover him.

"Maybe you should have done a background check, made sure the guy you were stealing wasn't _married_ to an FBI agent!"

Vale inexplicably picked up the water bottle off of the table, still inching away from him.

"Yes, that _would_ have been helpful information for Gloria to share when she picked you out for me." He told Luke.

"Stop_ moving _Vale!" Luke said warningly.

"You see Doctor, there_ is _a problem." The man said rather calmly. "You _still_ care too much."

With those words, Vale dashed the bottle in Michelangelo's direction, so that water hit him directly in the face, and ran down his neck. Then he was seamlessly beside the turtle, stun weapon in hand and suddenly pressed against Michelangelo's throat.

Luke cursed himself for _allowing_ it to happen - but taking a life was something he had no experience at.

"Did you know that our skin actually has some _natural_ resistance to electricity Doctor? However, when it becomes _wet_, that resistance is _reduced_ at least a hundred fold. Can you imagine what 500,000 watts will do to this creature? Your only consolation is that his agony would be _relatively_ short-lived."


	38. Rescue

Even before the dust had started to settle from the van's direct collision with the west side of the cabin, Jenna and Marcus were scrambling out of the vehicle with tanks in hand, and Oxi's covering their own airways. They would need to be swift in order to take advantage of the momentary shock they'd garnered from their dramatic entrance.

Marcus had taken the time briefly in the van to show Jenna how to release and use the pressurized tank. Now they split into separate directions across the Common Area, releasing the Halothane into the atmosphere to overpower the already surprised men.

* * *

Despite his current frustration, Luke's hand was completely steady as he faced Vale, who was still threatening Michelangelo.

"Now Doctor, we can surely negotiate here, can't we?" Vale said with a purposeful smile.

"Vale, this is _ending_ - just let him go, and I won't have to kill you!" Luke said in return.

"I hardly think it is ending Luke - or have you forgotten that we are not alone in this house?"

"Doc, would you just_ shoot _him already?" Raphael demanded from the floor.

"He _can't_ do that my friend, or he already would have." Vale called to him. "You see, is a compassionate life saver, without a cold or cruel bone in his body. He's no murderer - he couldn't even _watch_ me kill my own man."

"_Self defense is not murder Luke_!" Raphael seethed louder than before.

"Raph, stop distracting him." Donatello said under his breath to shut him up.

Luke wouldn't have taken the gun away from Vale, if he didn't actually have the gumption to use it.

* * *

Marcus and Jenna weren't fairing badly. Several of the men had quickly succumbed to the gas, with only a couple of shots actually being fired. Those that remained lingering between being awake and nearly unconscious were already faltering, and not difficult for even the decidedly "non-physical" Marcus to dispatch. He had been following Jenna's example, using the now empty tank of Halothane as a weapon itself, striking whatever man was immediately in his reach.

They left their Oxi's in place as a precaution, even as the chemical dispersed and began to clear, leaving behind a wake of dozens of bodies and firearms in various positions across the large open room.

"I can't believe I got through that without having a breathing attack." Marcus said to Jenna, adrenaline still pumping faster than he'd ever felt in his entire life.

"You did _good_ Marc - that was a brilliant idea. We need to search for the guys - I'm pretty sure Donnie said that Leo and Mikey were being held in the basement, I think it's the best place to start." Jenna told him, and only then did they remove their protective masks.

As she turned for the kitchen, she suddenly heard Marcus cry out from behind her. Jenna whirled around to see her friend inside the firm grasp of a gun toting young man, with two more individuals at his side. As Jenna made to move, Derik rammed the weapon harder into Marcus' skull.

"I don't think so baby. Stay where you are - one wrong move, and your _boyfriend_ gets it."

"That's _not_ my boyfriend!" She seethed, merely angry that they'd been caught off guard after all that.

"Is _now_ really the time to nitpick Jenna?" Marcus snapped at her, as one of the additional men took a firm grip on his other side, and the other moved in Jenna's direction.

The woman shot daggers at him with her eyes as he raised his firearm against her, wrapping a heavy arm around her waist.

"We were told to shoot on contact," Derik said haughtily, then glancing at Jenna appreciatively. "But in _your_ case, I believe we'll have to make an exception._ Boyfriend _here is gonna have to go through. How would you like to die? We can make it real quick, but I'm more inclined to have some fun with it, what with the havoc you've created here tonight."

All eyes were focused on Derik toying with Marcus - _no one _saw the shadowy form in the ski-mask slip inside the house, through the opening that the van had created.

"Then _again_," Derik said thoughtfully. "We'll already get to have plenty of fun with your girlfriend over there. I suppose there's really no sense to be keeping you around."

He let his partner take charge of holding Marcus, lightly patting the doctor's shoulder as he raised his weapon again.

"Farewell old boy." Derik said smugly - but before his finger could depress the trigger, a gun shot rang out from across the room, plowing directly into the young man's shoulder.

The man in the ski-mask revealed himself for the first time, discharging his weapon again. This time he took aim at the man holding Marcus, who was just about to fire his _own_ gun. In that moment of confusion, Jenna drove her elbow viciously into her attacker's stomach, wrenching the gun from his grasp when he doubled over in pain. Her right fist connected solidly with his jaw, the absolute hardest that Jenna had ever hit anyone before.

Derik was on the floor himself, but still reaching for his firearm.

"_Don't do it!" _Man in the ski-mask commanded.

But Derik wasn't of the mind to comply with this stranger. His fingers wrapped around the gun, and he started to bring it up to bear a second time.

Half a moment later, another gunshot rang out, and Derik slumped to the floor unmoving this time.

"_Stupid_." The stranger proclaimed out loud, starting to pull of his mask as Marcus dashed over to Jenna.

She was cradling her fist slightly, but absolutely none the worse for wear.

"Didn't the guys train you to use _palms_ Jenna? Let me see it."

"I'm so far beyond all that right now!" She exclaimed ruefully. "Are you alright Marc?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, thanks to..." Marcus trailed off slightly, as the now _unmasked_ gunman approached them.

"That wasn't a bad hit kid." The man said to Jenna.

"I _know _he didn't just call me a kid Marcus." Jenna said a little darkly, but her expression changed when she got a better look at the man. "Wait, I...I know you. Heffernan, right?"

"You mean _that's_ Kat's..." Marcus trailed off slowly.

"James' partner, yeah." The man affirmed. "_Thanks_ for the heads up that you were moving in tonight." He said sarcastically. "Are you one of the brothers?"

"Do I_ look _like a vigilante to you? I'm medical support." Marcus said wryly.

"Then what are you doing in here, instead of _supporting_?"

"The guys got into trouble, we had to do _something_." Jenna said indignantly.

"You're the diplomat's kid." Greg said suddenly, finally seeming to recognize her himself. "What are you doing _here_? How exactly are you tied into all this?"

"It's a _very_ long story, that I'm not going into right now. We need to find them!" Jenna replied.

"But we need to get these guys _contained _too, the Halothane won't hold them indefinitely!" Marcus spoke up.

"Do you have a way to restrain them?" Greg asked.

"We have a case of zip-ties in the van - I'll get on it." Marcus volunteered.

"Stay here and help him." Greg instructed Jenna, taking one of the fallen firearms off the floor to give to her. "If anyone moves before he's tied up, just take 'em out, no questions asked."

"But I want to find the guys!" She protested.

"Miss Richards, let me do this. I have experience securing buildings, and I need to make sure there aren't any more of them lurking. Marcus will need your help here, there are a lot of bodies that need to get under control. I'll handle this."


	39. Good Guys

"I'm losing patience Doctor." Vale told Luke stoically. "You know that I have absolutely no qualm in killing this _thing - _I don't even need the _one_, let alone four of them. I will give you to the count of five to lay down the gun, and after that I will _finish_ the job that I already started with him."

Luke was unmoved by the speech - he had in fact been standing stock still for the last seven minutes without moving. He was waiting for something specific, and wasn't about to act rashly before it occurred, if he could help it.

"One." Vale said coolly.

"Two." He continued a moment later, his gaze piercing into Luke's soul. And for the first time, it rendered absolutely no emotional response out of the doctor whatsoever.

"Thr--"

Before Vale could finish the word, Luke fired a single shot at his head. He fell in what looked like slow motion, as if time itself had been suspended for that moment. Luke dashed over to check for a pulse, but hardly needed to. He let out an immensely deep breath, as if he'd been holding it for an entire month.

"_Dagone it _Doc, what _took_ you so long?!" Raphael hollered at him.

"I had to _wait _for him to get his hand off the button Raph." Luke said breathlessly. "I didn't want him to set it off by reflex!"

Still somewhat shaky himself, Luke rose to put a firm hand on a trembling Mike's shoulder.

"Hold tight. I'm going to get your brothers freed first, and then they can help me get you guys loose."

As Luke ran back towards the others, he gave Donatello a pointed look.

"I_ told _you I could handle a gun!"

"This changes _nothing_ Luke - you're never getting yours' back from me!" Donnie told him stubbornly, then breaking into a wide smile as his friend dropped beside him to remove the manacles.

Donatello's arms went around the man in an extremely tight embrace, as they were both still knelt on the floor.

"_Thanks_ for coming after me. I've decided that I need an implant Donnie."

"You're _getting_ one Doc, you an every _other_ human attached to this family! I'd like to hear someone try to object!"

"Um, _hello_?" Raphael spoke up. "Hate to break you two up, but I'm _still _over here ya know."

"Sorry Raph, I'm coming." Luke responded, moving to his side while Donatello bolted upright to get to Michelangelo.

"Not bad Doc, not bad at all. And I suppose you _saved_ Donnie and I from having to slug out who had dibs on Vale." Raphael told the man with a grin, as he swiftly released him.

Donatello had grabbed the scissors off the table, and met Michelangelo with an encouraging smile.

"Hold still for me Mikey, I'll have you out of this in a jif."

He cut through the duct tape with precision, but Mike honestly wouldn't have cared if he_ had _just ripped it at this point. There were tears in his blue eyes, as Donatello finished getting it off.

"_Knew_ you'd come." He said hoarsely, as Donatello embraced him by the shoulder.

"Donnie, did you bring any water with you?" Luke called, as he and Raphael headed for Leonardo. "They haven't had more than a couple of mouthfuls in days."

Donatello bent down to retrieve his backpack, and tossed a bottle for Leonardo in Raphael's direction for him to catch. Then he carried another one to his younger brother, who drank eagerly with his help, a faint shine returning to his blue eyes.

"Can we _blow _this joint?" He asked rather weakly.

"I'm right with you Mikey. I'll get your legs freed first, okay?"

As he'd only started to loosen the chains, he heard footsteps on the staircase, and whirled around with bo in hand to attack. Raphael's sai leaped to his grip, and Luke had already raised the gun that he hadn't bothered to part with. A completely unfamiliar man was poised about half-way down the stairs, with a shocked expression and a raised hand-gun.

Luke breathed easier immediately when _he_ saw him. "Greg, it's okay. Put the gun down, they're _friends_."

Donatello curiously lowered his bo. "Agent Heffernan? _Seriously_?"

The creature's very tone of voice struck a familiar chord with Greg.

"_Donatello_?" He said in disbelief, shakily descending the rest of the stairs.

"In the flesh." The turtle replied with a grin. "Excuse me."

He turned around to go back to freeing Michelangelo, while a trembling Greg stood now rooted to his spot.

"But...but....you..._you_..."

"Time to tap the CD played Donnie, sounds like it's skipping." Michelangelo cracked.

Luke shook his head slightly as Greg appeared very close to keeling over. "For the love of _Pete_, can't you just put your head between your legs and pull it together for a few minutes Greg? I'm a little busy over here."

"We haven't had that effect on anybody for awhile." Raphael muttered, as he helped Luke pull Leonardo down.

Luke moved at once to replace the Oxi for him, and they carefully laid him out on the basement floor. Leonardo sucked in sharply for a moment, as every limb was screaming with pain from the way they'd been constrained for days.

"Raph, can you grab me Donnie's bag?" He requested of the turtle, knowing full well that Donatello would have come prepared.

He pulled out Donnie's scanner, not at all surprised to find that Leonardo was already in shock. The doctor dug through a little further until he found a vial of noraphim, and quickly loaded a shot for the turtle.

"Take this back to Donnie, will you? Mike might need some too."

Donatello was supporting Michelangelo's full weight at the moment, and couldn't resist embracing him firmly, accidentally causing him to gasp in open pain.

"_Easy_ Donnie..." He groaned. "I've been doubling as a punching bag."

"_Sorry_, sorry Mikey." Donatello said quickly, getting him down to the floor where he could get a better look at him.

"Will I live?" He asked with a half smile, as Donatello studied a scan off of the machine.

"You're not gonna feel too good for awhile Mike...but you're not terminal."

He injected him with a shot of noraphim too, before Mike would even have a chance to see it coming and tense up.

"Thanks for risking your shells for us Donnie." He told him solemnly.

"As if it was in question?"

Leonardo had only been partially conscious up to that point, just barely focusing dark eyes on Raphael, as the turtle dropped back down at his side with Luke.

"I'm...so sorry." He murmured weakly. "All my fault."

"Can that talk Fearless." Raphael said quietly. "You need to save all the breath you've got. _Dang it_, am I glad to see you! We thought...we almost thought we lost you completely."

"Hm?"

"That first shock Vale gave you, it fried your implant Leo. The guys couldn't get anything off of it." Luke explained to him. "Now your brother's right - no more talking."

Luke glanced over his shoulder to see Greg perched precariously on the second to last step, looking extremely pale.

"_Really_ Greg? Marcus had an easier time than this, and he wasn't expecting them any more than_ you _were." Luke said, a little exasperated.

"What in the heck is going _on _here?" Greg asked, not entirely able to keep his voice steady. "_These_ are the vigilantes? They're the ones James has been hiding, that I've been working with over these last few days? I don't understand any of this!"

"It might take you awhile to catch up Greg," Luke said, finally slightly sympathetic. "But there really is nothing to be afraid of. They're the _good_ guys."

* * *

*Hang with me ya'll - just a few chapters to go. :)


	40. Cleaning Up

With a couple of minutes to calm down, Greg _did _eventually manage to get out of the way so that everyone else could use the steps. Since the space was too narrow to handle two at once, Raphael took charge of carrying Leonardo upstairs on his own. He heard Donatello following behind him with Michelangelo in tow, and continued through the kitchen. Raphael hesitated only once to shift his brother into a more comfortable grasp, then stopping dead in his tracks when he caught sight of the Common area.

He couldn't help laughing. "Holy _shell_! C'mere genius, is _that _unobtrusive enough for ya?"

Donatello shouldered in beside him, gasping out loud. No matter the noise they'd heard a few minutes ago, he still wasn't prepared for the sight of the Battle Shell _inside_ the cabin, or the unconscious forms still littering the floor.

Both turtles ventured forward into the room, carefully setting down Leonardo and Michelangelo on the opposite facing couches.

"_Somebody _knows how to make an entrance." Mike murmured, already feeling more drowsy from the effect of the noraphim.

Donatello glanced over his shoulder as he heard Luke and Greg enter the room.

"Did you have something to do with all of this Agent?" Donnie had to ask.

"Not really - I can only take credit for the two _dead_ ones. They didn't give me a choice, your support people were in trouble."

"Our_ support _people?" Donatello repeated, casting another stunned glance at the van, just as Jenna and Marcus were returning from the hallway.

They'd been busy transferring men between the two of them, carrying one at a time to the back of the house to get them out of the way.

"LUKE!"

Marcus dashed to his friend's side, nearly bowling him over in his haste to get to him, while Jenna faced Donatello with her hands on her hips.

"What do you look so shocked for Donnie? What did you _think_ that sound was, the second coming of Christ?" She said sardonically.

"I _knew_ you agreed too easily!" He exclaimed. "You _said_ you'd go for help!"

"I _lied_ Donnie - what do you intend to do about it?"

Greg watched in amazement as the turtle wrapped his arms around the woman, dipped her slightly, and kissed her.

"_Love_ you until the day I die." He said a little breathlessly. "Or _you_ do - at this point, I'm not sure which will come first."

When Donatello let her up, Raphael turned to flick her in the shoulder lightly.

"That was a pretty good move sis, but if you _ever_ do that again, you're toast." He threatened.

"I'm shaking here Raph, _really_." She said sarcastically, then cast a quick glance at the other turtles. "Are they alright? Are _you_ alright?"

"They will be, I think." Donatello answered. "We're fine...though I have to say we were in a bad spot a few minutes ago."

Raphael was making a mental count of how many bodies were still "lying" around, and turned to motion to Greg.

"C'mon big man, let's you and I take care a moving the rest of 'em, let Jenna and Marcus help Donnie in here."

"Um...okay." The man agreed, still not sure what to make of everything. He had yet to actually take his eyes off of Jenna with Donatello.

"Relax Greg, they're married. You know how emotional lovebirds can be." Raphael told him.

"They're _what_?" They all heard Greg exclaim, as he and Raphael exited the room with a bound form each.

Jenna met Luke's gaze, and finally came over to meet him.

"Hey brother. That was a nice wild goose chase you led us on."

"I take it ramming the van down their throat was _your _idea. Thanks Jenna - I owe you one big time." Luke told her.

"Just _one_ Luke?" She teased, and then hugged him dearly. "I'm so glad you're _alive_."

Now that the adrenaline had worn off, Luke actually felt like he was on the verge of a collapse himself. When he faltered slightly, Jenna quickly braced both arms under his.

"Are you okay?" She asked swiftly.

"Yeah, but I should probably be helping Donnie. Both the guys need attention."

"Not from you Doc, I _saw_ that." Donatello said sharply. "Come over here, and get off your feet."

Marcus came to Luke's side to look him over thoroughly, while Donatello went to kneel by Leonardo.

"Donnie, can I help?" Jenna asked.

"Yeah babe, you actually can. I'm going to need some warm water to start cleaning, as well as one of the bigger kits out of the back of the van. Would you mind taking a quick stock of the kitchen after that? I have a feeling we're going to be here for a few hours yet, and we're going to need a couple of things."

"I'm on it Donnie."

* * *

When Raphael and Greg had finished moving the unconscious men, Greg came over to address the two that he'd killed.

"Greg, did you use your service weapon to take them out?" Donatello called to him suddenly.

Greg nodded, slightly perplexed by the question.

"Leave 'em be, we're going to need to pull the bullets out of them before we leave." Donatello instructed.

"What _for_?" Greg responded.

"Agent, do you _really_ want there to be any evidence that could possibly tie you back to this scene?" Donnie asked rationally.

Greg hesitated. "Now that you mention it...this _would_ be a little difficult to explain. Alright, I'm with you."

"Could any of the men identify you?" Raphael asked him.

"Nah, I was wearing a ski-mask when I first got here, just trying to blend in better outside. I suppose I'd better put it back on if I have deal with them again before we leave. How long _are_ we gonna be here? We can't leave 'em tied up forever, even though I'd love to."

"Long enough to get my brothers stable for travel, and to make sure that the van is actually road-worthy." Donatello answered.

"I'll get on that genius." Raphael spoke up, grabbing Donnie's flashlight off of the table.

"Why do you call him that?" Greg asked, before the turtle had even made it two steps.

Raphael glanced over at him, shrugging slightly. " 'Cause he_ is _Greg. Besides, I made him this bet about a busted up computer when he was ten, and you could say that I_ lost_."

"Speaking of 'genius', I _have_ to say I'm impressed Greg. How did you manage to find this place?" Donatello asked the man.

"I was already in Hillsboro - I_ told _you I was coming after you. After James told me that you were going in for the kill tonight, I hopped on over to the County Recorder's office. Got some help, found out that all their records from the seventies and later are stocked in the basement, and haven't been entered into the new computer databases yet."

"I suppose you followed the due legal process, and obtained a _warrant_ for said documentation?" Donatello challenged with a grin.

"Who needs a warrant when you have _my_ charm and boyish good looks?" Greg replied.

"I think I'm going to be sick." Jenna remarked, just returning with fresh water for Donatello.

"He _did _kinda save our tails Jenna." Marcus said to her.

"I would have thought of something." She said stubbornly.

"Hon, you _could_ just try saying 'thank you'." Donatello suggested.

Jenna's defiant gaze faltered after a couple of seconds. "Oh, I suppose I ought. Thank you Agent, you _were_ better late than never."

"Well...in all honesty, ya'll did most of the work." Greg said. "And that's _one_ tough arm you've got there Miss Richards...or whatever I'm supposed to call you."

"Jenna works fine - just don't let me hear you call me a_ kid _ever again." She finished, and then glanced at Donnie. "I found a dryer in one of those closets off the kitchen, stuck a couple of blankets in there. I thought it would help get them warmer. Brought you some more hot water in the meantime."

"Thanks Jen." Donatello told her, and wrung out his rag again, after dropping a small packet of herbs in the water.

"What's that?" Greg asked him.

"Natural means to help with pain management. I'd rather not throw anymore serious drugs at them, until the shock is under control."

Leonardo stirred when Donatello applied it to his chest, opening his eyes a little.

"_Hey_ Fearless." Donnie said quietly, squeezing his brother's hand. "I missed you."

His grasp wasn't very strong in return, but he did manage a small smile for him.

"Thank you." He whispered.

Raphael was just returning from underneath the van, which he'd backed out of the cabin into the grass.

"Well Donnie, the right front axle needs some adjustment, but other than that, we're pretty good to go. Nothing a few hammers and a good paint job won't fix. I'll get on fixing the axle, sooner we can leave this dump behind, the _better."_

"It's just as well." Donatello called back to him. "We've gotta clean this place up of any evidence that we were here, and that's going to mean erasing a lot of their camera footage that includes Leonardo and Michelangelo too."

"_Then_ what?" Greg spoke up.

"When we're good and clear, we'll call the proper authorities." Donatello said simply.

"See Greg, there's this fancy number called 9...1...1." Raphael smirked as he rifled through a tool box. "All you gotta do is dial, and there are lovely operators waiting at your beckons call."


	41. Trust

Greg glanced down the stairs to the basement, and saw Luke bent over Vale on the floor for the third time.

"_Luke_. What are you doing? He's been dead for six hours, you don't have to keep checking you know."

"I'm just not sure that you can actually_ kill _the devil Greg."

"_C'mon_, let 'im lie Doc. He won't be bothering you again."

Luke got to his feet, and slowly ascended the stairs.

"It just makes me remember all those old horror movies - _you_ know, where you think the monster is dead, and then two minutes later it comes back to suck your blood?" Luke suggested a little impishly.

"This isn't a movie Luke." Greg told him, extending an arm around his shoulder when he realized how shaky the man was. "Are you _alright_?"

Luke shook his head. "I'm _relieved_...but it's weird too. I know I shouldn't, but I can't help feeling..."

"Guilty?" Greg filled in for him.

"Isn't that stupid? After everything the man put us through, it _should_ have been easy, right?"

"Taking a human life is a big deal. Maybe not for a callous sociopath like _Vale_, but it isn't supposed to be that easy Luke. Even cops can have issues with their first kill."

Luke sighed deeply, rubbing his forehead with the back of his palm. "I feel like I could sleep for a _month."_

"Well why don't you_ get _on that Luke, and quit wasting anymore time on that psychopath downstairs?"

* * *

Greg left Luke in the Common area with the others, and headed over to the security office himself to find Donatello, who'd been busy at work there for the last hour or so. He smiled when he saw the steaming cup in the turtle's grasp.

"I see someone managed to rustle you up some coffee." He commented as he came inside.

"It's instant, but that's better than nothing. I was running on empty." Donatello replied, without bothering to look up from the sequence of numbers that he was firing.

"You seem to really know your way around this stuff." Greg said curiously. "How smart _are_ you?"

Donatello's glance finally flicked over his shoulder to look at the man, and he laughed shortly.

"What, you want it in _yards_? How am I supposed to answer that Greg?"

Greg ducked his head slightly. "Sorry - subtly has never been my thing. I just still have so many questions for you."

"_Yeah_?" Donatello said pointedly, wheeling around the desk chair to face him directly. "Well I have a couple myself - the most important being, _can_ we actually trust you?"

Greg swallowed hard under the turtle's completely focused gaze.

"Look, I um...I can't tell you that I'm comfortable with this whole situation - I'm not. If you hadn't been recommended so strongly by James, I probably would have done something drastic hours ago."

When the turtle's glare deepened, Greg immediately took his hand off of the firearm that he'd been unconsciously gripping.

"But James respects you, and Luke knows you too. On top of which...you didn't take a single life, even though I'm sure you could have. I'm not about to go forward with anything I've seen here, even if I don't know what your deal is, or _why_ you do this."

Donatello had answered this question for somebody before, but felt like simplicity was the way to go with _this_ man.

"Because we _can_ Greg. Do we need another reason?"

* * *

Luke had settled back down in a chair by the time that Raphael was returning from his work on the van, unwinding the now grease-stained wrap off his right arm. The doctor caught one glimpse of the obvious recent patch job of his original work, and shook his head at the turtle.

"Hey. Those stitches are like two weeks old. You might have been a little more careful with that arm." He lectured.

"Don't look at _me_ Doc,_ Jenna's _the one who ripped 'em out." Raphael protested, just as the woman was entering the room with a flask in hand.

"Because he _grabbed_ me in the dark outside that stupid bar!" Jenna shot back.

"We're going to be rehashing these stories for the next _year, _aren't we?" Marcus said wryly, and then turned to Leonardo to help him sit up. "Jenna's got something for you Leo, I think we should go ahead and try to get it down."

"I found a couple of boxes of chicken stock - they won't be as good as Mikey's stuff, but they're better than nothing." Jenna said, handing the flask over to Marcus so that he could help him.

"I ain't picky." Leonardo said, his breath catching slightly when Marcus pulled the Oxi off of him.

On the first attempt, he tried to swallow too hard, and came up coughing very painfully.

"I _can't_ Marc." He rasped a second later.

"Yes you can." The man said patiently. "You just have to start _a lot _smaller. Now let's try again."

* * *

Leonardo had managed to get down half of it with Marcus' encouragement, a little more aware of his surroundings now than he had been for the last few hours. When Greg came into the room, the first thing that he focused on was the blue banded turtle propped up slightly on the couch, fingering the hilt of one his katana which he hadn't touched in _days_.

"Do you actually _use_ those?" Greg couldn't help asking him.

"Only when I have to - but don't _test_ me Agent." He replied.

The strength in his voice didn't match the power of the statement, but the dark gaze in his direction _still _made Greg laugh nervously. Despite the turtle's prone position, he had the distinct impression that he was facing down one of the most_ lethal _creatures he'd ever encountered in his life.

"Aw, now _c'mon_. I just did this with Donatello." The man _tried_ to say lightly.

"And you _still _aren't done Sparky." Raphael said from behind him. "_We_ haven't had a one on one discussion ourselves, and I ain't as _nice_ as my brothers are. But I don't interrogate well on an empty stomach, so I'm gonna go see what the thugs have goin' on in the kitchen. I'll pencil you in for about half an hour from now, how does that work for ya?"

As the turtle left the room, Greg laughed nervously again, casting a glance over at Luke. "He's joking...isn't he?"

Luke shrugged. "Raph isn't much for kidding around, he leaves that to Mike for the most part."

"You mean the only one of them who _hasn't_ threatened me yet? That's comforting."

The orange banded turtle opened his eyes suddenly at the mention of his name, stretching slightly.

"No, you see, I have to wait _my_ turn Greg. The youngest don't always get to do everything first." Mike told him casually.

"Is it too late for me to walk out of here, and just forget that I ever saw _any _of them?" Greg asked of no one in particular.

Jenna made a show of glancing down at her watch. "Yes, I'm afraid you're about seven hours too late to do that."

"In the meantime, I'm starving." Mike announced. "What's a turtle gotta do to get some food around this joint? I could probably eat a whole pizza on my own right now."

"Yeah, that's not gonna happen Mikey." Marcus grinned at him.

"I know, I'm just sayin' I_ wish _I could."

* * *

Jenna wandered into the office, and found Donatello still behind one of the monitors.

"Aren't you hungry yet Don?" She asked him.

"No, I'm too focused for that right now. I just want to get this_ finished_, so we can get the heck out of here."

"You're too focused?" She repeated questioningly, laying both hands firmly on his shoulders. "Oh yeah, I can_ feel _that alright. Let's see if I can do anything about it."

He leaned back slightly in the chair as she massaged his shoulders and neck, closing his eyes with a soft sigh.

"You're gonna make me fall asleep Jen." He murmured. "I'll never get how you're strong enough to work out those knots."

"You're not the only one who _trains _Donnie. You _know_ I've been hitting the weights harder ever since I've been living with you athletes."

"As clearly evidenced by your earlier _knock-out _Jenna. I still wish you wouldn't use your_ fists _though."

"This was a special situation Donnie - the _last _time I punched someone in the face...gosh, it was Leonardo."

"We've come a pretty long way since then, huh?" Donatello said with a small smile.

"Thankfully. Now are you ready to eat something, or do I need to keep this up for another half hour first?"

"I see, this is just a distraction technique isn't it?"

"Whatever gets the job done the fastest Donnie."

He grabbed a hold of one her hands, kissing it lightly.

"Alright babe, you win. What's on the menu?"

"Give me just a couple of minutes to come up with something - and don't get yourself all wrapped back up in the meantime."

Donatello pushed away from the keyboard entirely, and rose from the desk chair. "Nah, I need a break anyway. I'll just tag right along with you."

"You are _so_ wrapped around my finger." She said coyly.

"I wouldn't want it to be any other way Jen."


	42. Gratitude

Greg pulled his mask back on, as he walked towards the back of the cabin to help Raphael finish things up with the "prisoners". They double-checked restraints to be sure that everything was secure, and shifted a couple of the men into different positions.

"I'm confused about something." Greg said suddenly as they worked together.

"Only one thing Greg?" Raphael smirked as him.

"Is the crime fighting you do _completely_ random?"

"Obviously not in this case," Raphael answered. "But the rest of the time, yeah...it's pretty much just a point of being in the right place, at the right time. It's a big city Greg - we never know _what_ we're gonna get on a given night."

As the turtle finished the statement, he realized one of the bound and gagged men was staring at him vapidly.

"What are _you_ looking at scum?" Raphael demanded. "Ain't nobody talkin' to _you_."

The turtle muttered something darkly under his breath, and motioned for Greg to follow him out of the room, and into the next one where men were being held.

"Don't worry ya'll - somebody will be by to 'rescue' you before the day is over." Raphael said to the entire room, as he and Greg left.

* * *

With everything finished inside the house, and the van in good running order, they could finally make good on their own escape. Donatello got his brothers as comfortably situated in the back of the van as he possibly could, and then he and Raphael hunkered down with them. Jenna took the wheel with Marcus at her side, while Luke got into Greg's Jeep with _him_.

"I thought I recognized that van when I came up on the house." Greg muttered to himself. "I think I have to apologize to you Luke. I may have inadvertently _delayed_ your buddies from chasing after you. No _wonder_ James was so mad when she called me back that night that night you were taken."

"I'm just glad it was _you_, and not some other cop." Luke said lightly.

"How exactly is all of this going to work when we get back Luke? The police are going to have a ton of questions for you. How are you going to explain what happened here?"

"I'll tell them the truth for the most part, at least from the point at which I was picked up...right up _until_ Leonardo and Mikey come into the picture."

"They were pretty _rough_ on those two, weren't they?"

Luke shook his head, a furious light returning to his blue eyes. "You can't even_ imagine_."

"What about the rest of it?" Greg asked. "How everything ended up the way it did in the house? I just want to make sure that you're prepared to answer this junk."

"Ignorance is my best friend." Luke replied with a slight grin. "Before we get back to the city, I'll have it all worked out."

"What exactly am I doing with you again?"

"You're going to drop me off around the corner from St. Joseph's, far enough away that no one will see it happen, but close enough that I can be 'found' relatively quickly."

"That sure sounds like less of a risk than _you_ took with James." Greg commented, referring back to the day that Luke had returned an unassuming Katherine to safety at a hospital after her "brush" with the turtles inside the United Nations.

"That was a completely _different_ situation Greg. I had _drugged_ her, in a futile attempt to help her forget ever meeting the turtles, which as you now realize clearly didn't work. With the injuries she'd sustained and her decreased mental state, I had to make sure she ended up safely where she needed to be. In this case, _you're_ the one I'm trying to protect. If you get caught dropping me off, they're going to connect you to that scene back there, no question. I'm not going to let that happen Greg."

"So you're just going to pop back up on the grid, with no explanation as to how you got there?"

"Sort of. I have some thoughts on it, but I'll tell you more about it on the way."

* * *

Around the time that both vehicles were closing in on the city limits of Hillsboro, Jenna received a phone call.

"Hey Jen," Luke said when she picked up. "You're going to think this is the dumbest thing ever, but we need to pull over somewhere for a bathroom."

Jenna's wheels were quickly turning, and she smiled in spite of herself. "Tell Greg to follow me Luke. I've got something I'd like to do before we leave this bitty town anyway. Unfinished business you might say."

"No one's called the authorities yet, have they?"

"Not until we get out of Hillsboro entirely. I'm not sure _who_ will get that privilege."

"Are you going to be okay to drive?"

"We're going to get a couple of hours away at least, and then pull over into a rest stop. Fifteen hours is a long way, and nobody has had any sleep, with the exception of our _hurt_ boys. You and Greg should think about doing the same."

* * *

About ten minutes later, Jenna pulled into the sight of the cursed tavern, where everything had gone so wrong earlier in the week. It was early afternoon, and there were only a couple of cars in the parking lot, but the place was obviously open, and that was all that mattered.

"You had to bring us back to _this_ place?" Luke called to her, as he got out of the Jeep to meet her.

"It's not the place I care about, so much as the woman who runs it." Jenna replied. "I just want to see if she's here or not."

Luke bypassed the bar entirely, heading straight towards the back of the building where the bathroom was, while Jenna sidled up to sit down at the bar for a moment. She'd come in so quietly, that the bartender didn't notice her right away. Judy was focused on the network news on the TV overhead, watching a report with rapt attention.

When she finally sensed movement out of the corner of her eye, she was a little startled to see Jenna sitting there, and laughed.

"My goodness! When did _you_ get here darlin'?"

"I've only been here for a couple of minutes Judy. I was hoping I'd get a chance to see you again."

"Can I get you something to drink?" The woman smiled mischievously, not expecting the woman to accept.

"I'm afraid not." Jenna answered. "I'm actually heading on my way out of town, this is my last stop."

"You sure look better than the other night. I'm gonna take it that everything worked out with them _city _boys?"

Jenna smiled a little secretively. "You _could_ say that Judy. I actually wanted to come back here and thank you, for helping us get through our crisis the other night."

Judy shrugged lightly. "I'm glad I could help, in any case. I figure any good a person can do, they ought just do it. The world would be a better place if more people lived that way."

The woman was suddenly drawn back to the screen above her, by the enlarged photo of the clean cut man on the screen, the subject of the story she'd been following. "Have you seen this case at all? It was a kidnapping out of New York City. It's such a shame, you hear about this junk. A week goes by, and you gotta think that the chances of the cops recovering more than a body are pretty slim."

Jenna bit her lip slightly to keep her composure. "Yes, well...the polices' hands are rather tied sometimes. They can only follow the evidence directly in front of them, and uphold all the due process of the law."

At that moment, Luke was returning from the hall, and walked directly up to where Jenna was sitting.

"So are we going?" He asked her.

"Hold on a second_ Luke_, this is Judy, the woman I was telling you about." Jenna said a little coyly.

The woman turned away from the TV to look at the two of them, and suddenly felt like her heart had just lept into her throat.

"Oh my land...you _look_...are you..." Judy stammered when she laid eyes on Luke, and he simply smiled in a disarming way.

"I understand I owe you a gigantic debt of gratitude for your assistance the other night. If there's ever any way that I can _demonstrate_ said gratitude, please don't hesitate to let me know." He told her.

Her eyes were as big as saucers as she looked at his business card, and then fixed back on Jenna.

"You're not going to remember that we were ever _here_, are you Judy?" Jenna said pointedly.

The woman shook her head quickly. "Well no, I don't suppose I can be expected to remember _every_ drifter that comes through, even one so pretty as you darlin'. I'm, um...glad that I could help in some way. But like you said, you'd better get back on that there road, before we get some more company in here." She finished with a smile of her own.

"Thanks again for everything." Jenna said as she got her feet. "And seriously, if you ever need help...we have some rather powerful people in our corner. You know how to reach us."

Judy looked down at the card wordlessly for a moment. "That I do darlin'. You drive safe now - it's a _long _way back into the city."


	43. One that Got Away

Isaac Stolle had never been a very patient individual. He was a man who appreciated results, and expending energy towards solutions. While he'd never completely trusted Vale any further than he could have _thrown_ the man, that didn't mean he failed to learn anything from him. So when his steel-grey eyes had spied something lying under the bed several hours ago, he'd wisely maintained his peace, not so much as stirring from his prone position on the floor of the bedroom. As uncomfortable as it was, at least their "captors" hadn't returned to really hurt them.

Hour after hour he'd listened for what sounds he could hear coming from down the hall, mind rallying within him as he sorted through information and theories. He had been _waiting_ for them to leave, so that he could safely make a move of his own.

Stolle was near enough to the window that he was able to hear when a vehicle started, and another followed soon after it. He held his breath, and waited an additional ten minutes for good measure, even after he'd heard the engines move away.

At that point he ignored the men lying to his right and his left, and immediately starting to shimmy his way across the floor, working towards the bed frame. With some effort he successfully managed to get off of his stomach, rolling onto his back so that his wrists would be underneath him. _Now_ he could get some better leverage with his bound ankles too.

He struggled and shoved his way under the bed slightly, straining and hoping to feel the cold metal underneath his fingers. He was probably the only one of the men in the house that could have even _fit _in this space. Being smaller did _sometimes _have its' advantages. He shifted and fought his way further under, trying to provide room for his fingers to grasp and move.

About five minutes of persistent struggling yielded the desired result, as his right hand brushed against metal. With some difficulty he felt his way over the knife blindly, searching for the slot that would release the blade. He was rewarded in finding it by the edge nicking him in the hand, but he merely gritted his teeth, and plowed ahead. Maneuvering the sharp blade against the zip-tie was no easy feat, and it took him a few minutes to even get it into the correct position against the plastic.

Methodically he raked the tie over the blade, knowing full well that he was fighting more than _one_ restraint. They had used at least a couple, to _assure_ that no one would be getting loose. He couldn't avoid cutting some skin along with the plastic a couple of times, but so great was his resolve that he hardly even noticed the pain, or the blood running down his hands.

The entire process took about an hour, but he was too determined to back down. He let out a long deep breath when his wrists were quite suddenly freed entirely, swiftly drawing both hands down to the side. He used his arms to help push his way out of the constrained space under the bed. Then he swiftly went to work on the ties on his feet, removing them rather easily, and slowly peeled the tape off of his own mouth.

As he rose somewhat painfully, he heard the gasps of desperation from other men littered across the room. Stolle perused them slowly, then turned his back to leave the room.

_I know I can't have very much time to safely stay here. I'm certainly not taking __all__ of these thugs with me, but a few hands would be nice to have around. Leaving the rest of them will be a nice enough distraction to provide for a cleaner get away._

Stolle walked down the hallway towards the Common area, stopping short when he saw Derik and Dalfour side by side on the floor.

_Shoot__. Dalfour was one of Vale's favorite muscles for a reason. I sure could have used him._

When he didn't see anymore men out there, he realized that the rest of them must have been tossed into one of the other bedrooms. He decided to start looking, and stopped at Morello's room first, coincidentally enough. He ventured inside for a closer look at the deceased man, shaking his head slowly.

_Geez. He's been dead for __hours__ it looks like. What a night that turned out to be._

Stolle left the room after that, and continued on checking two others, before he found the second cache of prisoners. He spied Williams among them, and his smile immediately returned. Not only were most of the men afraid of Williams, but Stolle felt that he could easily be able to tempt him into helping with his _own_ pursuits. And having the dangerous man in tow with him would likely help detract from any possible snitching on the part of the others.

He breezed into the room, stepping over a couple others to get to the hulk of a man who was so easy to spot. Williams' eyes went wide when he saw him, and he laid completely still on his side so that Stolle could cut the ties off of him. They'd used several more on him than the others, clearly as extra insurance.

As Williams slowly got to his feet, Stolle noticed the new-found respect in the man's eyes directed toward him.

_This is going to work perfectly._

"Come with me Williams, quickly." Stolle urged him, drawing him out into the hallway. "I don't think we have very much time. I need to get a couple of things done, and I'd like to find out if Vale is still among us."

"The freak show flew the coop huh?" Williams asked angrily. "D'you want me to start freeing the others?"

_Asking for direction so soon._

"No Williams, we need to travel light and fast - large numbers would only hinder us. Don't you agree? Besides, if the police already _have_ a house-full of felons, what reason would they have to think about pursing anyone else?"

The man nodded slowly, as if understanding Stolle's reasoning. "Do you want me to look for Vale?"

"Yes, and then feel free to choose two men to accompany us. I'll be in the Security Office."

* * *

Stolle had been on the main computer for a little over fifteen minutes, quickly realizing that a lot of information had been tampered with. As he logged onto the old network camera feeds, he'd been slightly surprised to discover that volumes of material had been completely corrupted, beyond the hope of recovery.

_Clever bastard was thorough. I wonder how many of them there are actually are, besides the two Vale had in the basement? That one in red didn't sound __anything__ like the one who threatened me last night._

He closed out the feeds, and returned to the software monitoring his sensors. The creature must have been able to figure out how to disarm Luke's band, or the good doctor would have suffered immensely upon his attempt to leave the premises.

_Wait, what's this?_

Stolle double-checked the time signature, indicating the exact hour and minute when Luke's device had been deactivated last night.

_Can this really be right? They would have had to gain at least partial control of the network, before they were even inside the house!_

Stolle pushed back from the computer, shaking his head once more. Something much _deeper_ was going on here than the surface indicated. He was not only more intrigued than before, but now he felt even more driven. _Whoever_ these creatures were,_ whatever _their connections, he would be very interested to catch up with them again.

Williams knocked lightly on the open door, a grim look in his eyes.

"Vale's dead Stolle, I found him in the basement."

"What a pity." Stolle said flatly, actually meaning it a little.

"I freed Lewis and Kizirnis. What's our next move?"

"I need to get back to the city, regroup, research...And then get back on the hunt." Stolle answered him.

"The hunt for what Stolle? What's going to happen to the rest of the crew, with both Morello and Vale out of the picture?"

"I don't know, and for this moment, I honestly don't _care_. I have more important concerns on my mind."

"What are your intentions sir?"

"I'm after retribution Williams - would _you_ like some?"

The man's gaze hardened as he nodded at him.

"We shouldn't risk staying here any longer." Stolle said decisively. "Are the three of you ready to move?"

"Lewis was pulling up one of the cars. Are you squared away in here?"

Stolle nodded, and followed Williams back out to the Common area, casting one last long look over the room.

_This was supposed to be so easy...but we're reminded once again that "Big Brother" is __always__ watching. I don't understand the form it came knocking in, but I know one thing for certain. This isn't over._


	44. Back to the City

"I can't _believe_ you almost fainted Greg!" Katherine couldn't help laughing. "That's probably the most hysterical thing I've ever heard!"

Greg shifted his cell phone to balance with his chin, so that he could drive with both hands. "It _wasn't _funny James! You could have prepared me a little bit!" He said indignantly. "I was already in a high stress situation, with absolutely no idea how many guns could be around every corner. Then I walk in on the guy I've been talking to for days, only to find out he ain't _human_?"

"If you'd _told _me that you were chasing them down as the masked avenger, I might have considered warning you!" Katherine shot back. "You didn't mention that you were already_ in _Hillsboro when we talked!"

"I was afraid you'd spook them, let 'em know I was coming." Greg replied. "I imagined a lot of different scenarios coming into this James. Wondering who these guys were, what all the secrecy was about. It all makes so much sense _now_."

"You _are _keeping things on the down low, aren't you?"

"_Trust _me, I've been through this already. No, I'm not telling anybody about this, _obviously_. And I'm sorry I gave you such a hard time over them. You've changed over the last couple of years, but you're still the same James that I've always been able to trust. Does it bother you that a bunch of us still call you that? I suppose Barrows would be more appropriate." Greg finished, casting a wink in Luke's direction.

"I've always been known as 'James' around the Bureau, I see no sense in changing it now."

"Just makin' sure. Well, we're about fifteen minutes out, so we'll be there soon. You've only got a couple of minutes with your man, so make 'em count. Then you'll get to be reunited a _second _time after I drop him off around St. Joseph's."

* * *

Luke was so antsy that he was shifting positions in his seat, almost every thirty seconds. His breathing quickened slightly as Greg pulled through their alley, up the open gate, and drove his Jeep inside. Luke got out a little bit stiffly, almost feeling like he'd just battled his way out of a war-zone. But his stride got longer the second he saw Katherine.

The woman flew directly at him, practically knocking him over when she leaped into his arms. Katherine kissed him long and hard as he lifted her off the sidewalk, despite the pain in his bad shoulder. She clung to him for several seconds, as if she never wanted to let him go again.

"I was waiting for you to come rescue me." Luke teased her lightly, and was startled when the woman slapped him _hard_.

"Do you have any idea how _scared _I've been?" She demanded of him.

"Dang Kat, I think I've been smacked around _enough_ for a couple of months."

* * *

The two men only lingered with Katherine, Victoria and April for about ten minutes, before needing to leave again. As Greg pulled out of the garage, he noticed that Luke was fingering an epi-pen.

"Whatcha got there Luke?"

"It's a sedative." He answered simply. "You're going to want to make sure that you get this thing back to Katherine, if it isn't too much trouble."

"What are you _doing _with it?"

"Creating an alibi." Luke answered. "I can't be expected to know anything about my rescuers if I wasn't _conscious_, now can I?"

"Is it really safe to be drugging yourself?"

"The base of this thing is completely natural Greg, it's something that Donnie and I worked on for months. They're extremely intolerant of conventional meds, so all their drugs have to be specially formulated. Believe me, if this is safe for them, it's not going to hurt _me_." Luke explained patiently. "I'm going to ham it up at the hospital, act like I'm worse off than I really am. That should make it easy to explain not knowing jack."

"You've got your part down pat, don't ya Luke?"

"I do what I have to Greg."

* * *

Greg dropped him off about a block away from the hospital, and then hunkered down to wait for someone to "discover" him.

_I'm sure not leaving until somebody finds him. We didn't just go through all of that for something to happen to him __now__. Hey...why should I __wait__ for somebody?_

Greg picked up his cell phone to dial Donatello, and the turtle answered on the second ring.

"Hey Donnie, you think one of you could call 911 for Luke on your magic cell-phones?"

* * *

"Yeah, you heard me." Donatello said to the operator on the other end of the phone. "You'll find the missing guy, just around the corner of St. Joseph's, near the corner of Wilson and Third...If he was dead, _why_ would I be calling you? Just send someone to get him already."

Without another word, Donatello hung up the phone by clapping it shut.

"These operators are getting more irritating." He commented, eliciting at least a small laugh from Raphael and Mike, but Leonardo was quiet, just as he had been almost the entire way home.

Donatello had been content with that - his brother desperately needed rest. Only now did it occur to him that exhaustion probably wasn't the only thing that was holding his tongue.

"Fearless?" He said quietly, shifting positions so that he would be closer to him. "What's on your mind?"

Dark eyes met his chocolate brown, deeply guilt ridden.

"I made a mess of things." Leonardo whispered. "I coulda gotten myself killed...Mikey. We might never have seen Luke again."

The turtle released a painful breath, and tried to continue a little louder. "There's no excuse for it. I'm supposed to _protect _it, protect this family. Instead I...I put it in worse danger, and I made _your_ work so much harder. I'm sorry. After all this time, I'm still not getting things right."

"Leo, do you know what Luke told me?" Donatello asked softly. "He said that Vale informed that he was planning on killing him off, that same night before you and Mikey showed up. When he found the evidence connecting Mike to Luke, it was the only thing that stayed Vale's hand. If you guys _hadn't _been caught, chances are we might not have been able to get Luke back alive.

Not that I'm inferring getting captured was the best thing that could have happened. I don't ever want to go through something like that again, and I'm quite certain your own opinion on that is even stronger. Please don't go getting weighed down in guilt Leonardo. It was an _accident_. It wasn't like you ran into a mob of men, trying to take them all down single-handedly.

"I was reckless."

"The truck looked abandoned, _both_ of you said that. Don't let this eat away at you."

"It's just that...without Sensei...oh, you know what's going through my head right now Donnie! I failed so miserably in this endeavor. I shudder to imagine what _he_ even would have thought about it."

"He woulda been glad to see you _alive _Fearless." Raphael spoke up. "And he would have told you to learn from your mistakes. In the meantime, can you just be happy that we're almost home?"

"Are we?" Leo said a little breathlessly, grunting as he tried to rise a bit off the seat.

Donatello provided him some support, so that he could see the faint images of city lights, playing off the tinted glass windows.

"There were a couple of times...I wasn't so sure that I was going to see those again." Leonardo murmured, relaxing into Donatello's embrace.

"If _you _weren't going to, none of us were." Donatello said plainly, casting a glance over at Raphael.

"For real Leo." Raphael added. "We weren't goin' home without you."

"What about _me_? Michelangelo protested slightly from the seat across from him.

"I could probably live for a couple of months without your _pranks_ Mike, but I 'spose I couldn't have left you either." Raphael said with a good-natured smile, and then turned his gaze back to the window.

_Hm. Speaking of pranks...I think it's time I actually came up with a plan of my own for a certain brother of mine._


	45. Hijacked

***Another quiet late night with the author, somewhere in southwestern Ohio.**

* * *

"NO! No Donnie, _don't _drink the---"

Cut off, by a firm green hand from behind.

"Not a peep _Sarah_, this is between me and _Donnie_. You stay out of it, or I'm comin' after _you_ next." The red-banded turtle threatened severely. "You've had your fun, and now it's time to do things _my_ way. After what you put us through, you're lucky I don't tear that keyboard right in half!"

"Um, a little help here? _Somebody_?"

"Uh uh sister, you're not going _anywhere_! You've got a story to finish. Now sit your tail back down, and you're going to type _exactly_ what I tell you."

"I can't quote you _verbatim_ Raph, people will know it's not my material! I _have_ friends - they'll be looking for me!"

"I ain't scared of your _friends_ Sarah, none of them have managed to kill me off yet. Besides, as far as I can tell, you don't exactly have the widest 'fanbase' on the block."

"Gee _thanks _for pointing that out Raph. I _know_ I don't get a lot of reviews, but I try really hard not to let that bother me!"

His smile was slightly apologetic. "Sorry sweetheart. _I_ still like ya..._most _of the time."

"That means a lot coming from you Raph. But you should know that my parents will eventually be looking for me too. You don't wanna mess with my step mom either - she once broke a mugger's arm in a car door when he tried to steal her purse."

He snickered at that. "Sounds like_ my _kind of woman."

"She's _taken_ Raph."

"Okay fine, well you don't have to quote me exactly, but you're _gonna_ follow my outline, _or else_."

_Feeling a little bolder now._

"Or else_ what _Raphael?"

The turtle instantly reached over to scoop a small device off of the dresser.

"NO, Raph _please_, not my iPod! My whole life is on there!"

"Are you ready to write?" He asked dangerously.

"_Yes_! I'll do whatever you want, just don't do anything crazy here!"

"_Speaking_ of music, I know how much you love to set the mood Sarah. Let's see what I've got to work with on your desktop."

"Raph, get your paws off my mouse!"

"_Relax _sister, I just wanna see your playlists."

The music program was already open for him to glance through, and he let out a snort as he slowly sifted through dozens of songs.

"_What's_ so funny?"

"How many personalities do you _have_ Sarah? Seriously, what kind of person has Kelly Clarkson, Linkin Park, Enya, and David Crowder, all on the same playlist?"

"I call that being ecletic!"

"_I_ call it bein' weird."

"I've got Taylor Swift on there too Raph, I _know_ how much you love _her_."

The amber gaze seemed to darken at least three shades.

_Maybe I shouldn't have said that while he still has my iPod._

"I'm gonna find you some real music." He continued after a moment, clicking to open the Online store.

He hummed slightly to himself, as he started to type something into the search engine.

"Raph, if I _wanted _Meatloaf on my playlist, he would already be there! You may as well just close that out, I'm not telling you my password. Besides...I think I _do_ have something that you'd like. It's a collaborative effort between Chris Daughtry and Slash...the song has always seemed like a perfect theme for you."

"Slash? Okay, I'm game to _listen_ anyway."

With the opening notes of the dueling electric guitars, it was clear the turtle was satisfied.

"Oh yeah, I can get _into_ this. Right, now where we were? Time to get typing."

* * *

_(40 minutes later)_

"Raph, I'm _just_ sayin', you've got a couple of gaps here that need to be filled in. For starters, where's _Jenna_ while all this is going on?"

"What does _that _have to do with anything?" He asked.

"People might _wonder_, that's all. You could try to explain why she isn't there at least."

"That takes _way_ too much energy Sarah. What's your other beef?"

"There is _no_ way that your Sensei's herbs would be strong enough to have this kind of effect! I mean, they could make someone pretty drowsy sure, but that's _hardly_ the same thing."

"Is this _your _chapter or _mine_ Sarah? I ain't paying you for your logic."

"You're not _paying_ at all - this is a hostage situation!"

"Right, and you'll get your precious iPod back the second you finish this for me. _I'm_ in charge right now, and if I say that it will work, then it _will_ work. You have a couple more paragraphs to go - just get it done already."

"I'm still confused about how you_ found_ me Raphael."

"Oh, that was easy. Donnie left the google directions to your house on his desk, where just _anybody _could find them. I _know_ how to get here now, and you'd better not forget it."

_Note to self - it's time to move again._

The red-banded turtle finally left about ten minutes later.

_Wow...that was...interesting. Boy, he's sure not taking any prisoners with Donnie here. I __can't__ leave it this one-sided, I've got to do something with this before I post it. It's an author's prerogative to make last minute changes, isn't it?_


	46. Sweet Revenge

Donatello trotted down the hallway, smiling as he passed by the practice room. The musical strains of "Clocks" coming from inside indicated that Doc had finally agreed to sign off on Leonardo returning to training. The living area was empty, so he popped into the kitchen, expecting to find Mike hard at work on some preparations for the big dinner they were having that evening.

He was surprised to see Raphael instead, bent over the counter with his Sensei's old familiar tin container of special leaves.

"Hey Raph, what's the occasion? Did you finally break the coffee-maker?" Donatello teased him lightly, and his older brother just smiled at him.

"Nope - just felt like a change. Don't you ever get tired of the same old caffeine fix?"

"No, not really." Donnie answered. "Where's Mike, have you seen him?"

"He's working out with Leo. Doc cleared both of 'em for action this morning, so it's just _you_ and _me_ for awhile. Do you want some of this tea I'm fixin'?"

"Nah...I should probably be looking for Jenna anyway. You know, it's the _weirdest _thing, I just don't have a clue where she's gotten to."

"Don't worry about her genius, you know she'll turn up. In the meantime, you're gonna hurt my feelings if you don't at least _try_ this."

_Boy, __somebody's__ needy this morning, _Donatello thought curiously, but then shrugged. "Well, okay, if you're working on it anyway."

"Why don't you pick us out a movie or somethin', and I'll bring it out in just a minute after it's steeped a little?"

"Sure Raph." Donatello ducked out of the kitchen, and hemmed and hawed over the cabinet under the TV for a couple of minutes.

_Hm...Disturbia. He'd probably go for that._

He flipped the DVD over in his hand and inserted it into the player, then hopped over to the couch to wait for Raphael.

His brother came out of the kitchen a few seconds later, handing Donatello a mug with a slightly _over friendly_ smile.

_He's acting weird today. I wonder if he's trying to get something out of me?_

Donatello tasted it experimentally, breathing in the familiar fragrance of herbs that he'd grown up on.

"This_ is _a nice change Raph. Thanks."

"My pleasure Donnie. Did you pick something or what?"

"Yup, I was just waiting on you. Want the remote?"

"That works. Drink your tea while it's hot, okay?"

Donatello drained it over the course of ten minutes, after Raphael had skipped _over_ the opening sequence of Disturbia. It was _never_ really fun to watch the kid's dad die right in front of him. As he tried to focus on the story for the fifteen minutes that followed, he was slowly sinking further against the couch cushions, feeling strangely weighed down all of the sudden. It was getting hard even to keep his eyes open anymore. Donatello blinked rapidly, and tried to sit up a little further.

"You tired Donnie?" Raphael said sympathetically.

"Yeah, for some reason." He murmured.

"Well, don't bother fighting it. You've probably had one late night too many lately."

"I guess." He mumbled, falling flat against the arm of the couch with a sigh.

Raphael peered hard at him as his brown eyes finally closed firmly, and his whole body went slack.

_At last. Your shell is __all__ mine Donnie._

_

* * *

_

A short cold blast from the kitchen sprayer was the next thing that Donatello was aware of, drawing him awake with a startled gasp a couple of minutes later. He instantly tried to rub water out of his eyes, surprised _further_ to find that both arms were lashed tightly behind his back.

"Don't waste your _energy_ Donnie." Raphael said mockingly, as his younger brother tried moving arms and legs that were tightly restrained to the metal chair.

He rubbed a dishtowel over his brother's face, and Donatello looked up at him with a slightly disoriented gaze.

"_Raph_? What..._how_ did you...what are you _doing_?"

"It's called retaliation Donnie, _surely_ you've heard of it. You can go ahead and yell if you really want to, but you know Leo's penchant for blasting Cold Play when he's in a good mood. First day back on training after more than eight weeks, you _know _he's in a good mood. I don't see him and Mike cutting things short today."

_Shell, he's right. I could be stuck with him for __awhile__._

"I thought we were past all this Raph." He said a little nervously.

"_Past_ it? Donnie, we never even _addressed_ it! You _drugged_ me, and then you tied me up in the back of the van!"

"I didn't have a choice!" He protested. "You were out of your mind, and you know it!"

"You _experimented_ with me in order to design these beautiful restraints of yours'."

"Okay, maybe _that_ was a little over the top. But I didn't hurt you, did I?"

"Nope, and I ain't gonna _hurt _you either little brother. You're long overdue for a taste of justice, and I'm gonna see to it that you receive it today."

Donatello tried to twist slightly so he could see what Raphael was doing behind him, noticing for the first time that Raphael was wearing _gloves_.

"Why are you wearing those things Raph?"

"It's about to get pretty chilly in here Donnie, I had to come prepared." Raphael chortled, pulling a cart over into his line of vision. "Do you want a preview of what's coming, or would you rather be surprised?"

Donatello caught one glimpse, and groaned loudly. "Aw Raph, you _can't _be serious! You could just leave me tied up here for a couple of hours, and we'd be even!"

"Where's the fun in _that_ Donnie?" He laughed, as he reached to untie his mask. "I'm just gonna put this with your _other_ stuff so nothing gets ruined. Then you're gonna want to keep your eyes closed for a_ good _long while, if you follow me."

His shoulders stiffened immediately, but he didn't bother struggling. The supple material the restraints were made out of allowed for a certain amount of comfort, but absolutely no room for escape.

Raphael held a pitcher over his head, and started pouring chocolate over him agonizingly slowly. "You're gettin' the whole sundae treatment today Don, but I wanted to start everything off with a nice even base coat overall. Keep those eyes shut."

He cringed slightly, but obeyed as Raphael picked up a second pitcher in his other hand. He proceeded to cover nearly every square inch of him over the time span of about ten minutes.

"This next part will be colder Donnie, just to prepare you." Raphael said with a chuckle.

He couldn't hold in a slight gasp as Raphael smeared ice cream over his face first, then mounding it in peaks over his shoulders and his shell. He layered ingredients over his younger brother for several minutes, ranging between various sauces, whipped topping, and ice cream, then loading up very heavy on whipped cream when he was close to the end.

With a smirk, he nudged Donnie's shoulder.

"I _hope_ we've learned a valuable lesson about experimentation today genius - namely, leave _me_ out of it. Just need one more touch to complete this for now."

He overturned a bucket of multi-colored hard sprinkles, coating his entire upper half in a layer of the candy. And at that very moment, Leonardo and Michelangelo wandered into the kitchen.

"Holy _cow_ Raph, what did you do?" Leonardo exclaimed, as Michelangelo snagged a towel off of the table.

Raphael only grinned at him. "I'm glad you could show up to see the finished product Fearless."

Mike bent down to Donatello's level, trying to wipe as much off of his face as possible.

"Are you in there Donnie?"

"What_ t-took _you so long?" He shivered violently. "Weren't your spidey senses tingling?"

"Sorry bro, they must not be working today."

"Get me _outta_ this, will you?" Donatello verily pleaded.

Mike cast a pointed glance over his shoulder at Leonardo, who nodded in return.

"I will Donnie, just let Leo and me take care of business first."

"Business?" Raphael repeated. "I just told you he's done. You don't--HEY, get your mitts offa me Leo!"

His older brother had yanked him suddenly from behind, and was now holding him in place with every ounce of strength inside him.

"Uh uh Raph, there's a small matter of procedure that we have to follow here. You know the rules state--"

"This _was_ retaliation Leo! You can't _do_ nothin' to me!" Raphael interrupted him.

"On the _contrary_ my brother. When one intentionally crosses a certain line, instant action is required in response. Hey Mike, do you suppose you could hurry it up a little bit? Now isn't the time to be indecisive." Leonardo called, as he struggled to hold a thrashing Raphael.

Mike was_ trying _to think quickly as he rummaged through the fridge, eyes suddenly landing on the large pot of soup he'd only prepared that morning, in advance for dinner that night.

_That's Kat's favorite, but I suppose I can start over. Sacrifices must be made._

Michelangelo pulled the pot out of the fridge, and when Leonardo saw him coming, he banked directly against the back of Raphael's legs to force the turtle to his knees. Growling and struggling violently, Raphael tried to get out from underneath his brother's grip on his shoulders, but his pressure was unshakable.

Mike hefted the pot directly over his head, dumping the entire contents of chicken chowder on top of him. Raphael had tried to bury his head, but the sheer weight of the soup couldn't prevent the action from covering him completely, then cascading over his shoulders and plastron.

An infuriated snarl escaped the turtle as Leonardo finally let him up, and he rubbed fiercely to get chowder out of his eyes.

"_That's it_!" He hollered angrily. "She's gonna _pay_ this time!"

Michelangelo was slightly confused. "_She_? Who's he talking about Fearless?"

Leonardo folded his arms at his younger brother. "C'mon Mikey, who do you_ think_? I _suppose_ there's another field trip on the horizon. We're gonna have to go with him, make sure he doesn't actually kill her."

"Is it _safe_ to mess with the authors?" Mike wondered aloud.

"I guess we're gonna find out." Leo told him.

"Guys? _Anytime_ you'd like to turn me loose over here would really be nice." Donatello reminded them with a groan.

"Sorry Donnie!"


	47. Forgetting

***Please allow me to apologize for this chapter in advance, because I'm certain that this might feel like it's coming straight out of left field. I'll be closing things up with Manhunt in the chapter right after this one, but for personal reasons, I was compelled to make this addition first. I lost my grandfather today, after he'd been going downhill for about a month's time. I still wasn't prepared for it myself, but my heart breaks even worse my step mom and step sister.**

**As we were sitting around my Grandma's living room tonight, I had a flashback of another October night almost 18 years ago, of grieving for my own mother with a packed-out house of family and friends.**

**That said, please bear with me. If you've ever lost anyone very close to you, then you know that the pain never goes completely away. Time can cause you to forget, to become numb...but it never truly heals. The scripture referred to actually comes from Ecclesiastes 4:9-12. This chapter is in memory of those that I look forward to seeing again on the other side. Until we meet again, I just pray that memories can last.**

* * *

While Raphael and Donatello were cleaning up upstairs, Leonardo and Michelangelo were getting a jump start on the kitchen downstairs.

"I'm sure not doin' _all _of this Leo." Mike muttered darkly. "Raph made the mess, and he's _gonna_ help clean it up."

"I told him to hurry up Mike. Are we seriously out of paper towels already?"

"Jenna bought the BIG pack last time, so I had to stow them in the hall closet." Mike told him.

"I'll go grab some more - be right back." Leonardo said, and ducked out of the kitchen into the living area.

As he headed for the hall closet, his gaze hesitated for a moment on a piece of wood that held a place special prominence, mounted on the wall. He paused in his stride, stopping to lightly trace the edge of his Master's old walking stick. There were times that he could go days without glancing at it, weeks where the void didn't seem as glaringly obvious as it actually _still_ was, almost two years later.

Tears unbidden struck him in an instant, and he tried to fight down the quiet sob. He rested his forehead briefly against the wall, shuddering slightly from the swift onset of emotion.

_Somehow it feels like you've been gone so much longer than this Master. In the beginning, it didn't even feel like it was real, and now...with every passing month, it seems like I'm forgetting more. It feels like I'm losing pieces of you bit by bit, as if I have some kind of a slow leak somewhere. I don't want to lose the strong vision I still have of you in my mind, but I'm so afraid that it's going to fade too. We carry around so many of the things that you taught us, but it doesn't seem like enough. I can still hear what your voice __sounds __like in my head, but I can't necessarily bring up your thoughts and guideance to go along with it._

_I'm so scared of letting the others down. You told me not to try and bear this family up alone, but I can't help feeling that weight upon my shoulders. My screw ups, my mistakes only recently put everyone in serious danger. I'm sorry Sensei, God knows, I'm going to try harder. I just wish...for one minute, that I could hear what you would actually say if you were here. Even if it __was__ only to scold me for my stupidity._

Leonardo had been gone for nearly ten minutes, when Michelangelo came out of the kitchen looking for him.

"Bro, what happened? Did you get lost?" Mike teased him, until he saw Leonardo jerk suddenly out of his awkward position so that Mike wouldn't see his features. "Fearless, what's wrong?"

"Nothing, it's nothing Mike."

His younger brother shook his head with a slight scowl. "Why you gotta be that way Leo? Can't you just get real with me?"

Leo's eyes were trained downward as if in shame, and he sniffed as he backed into the opposite wall. "I'm okay Mikey." He said quietly. "I'm just...it's almost that time, y'know?"

Michelangelo laid a light hand on his shoulder, tugging slightly. "C'mon, let's go sit down."

Leonardo let him pull him over, and sank slowly into the couch cushions. He didn't say anything, but his sagging shoulders spoke louder than any words could have.

"Why do you feel like you have to hide this from us Leo? It's okay for one of _us_ to break down, but heaven forbid _you_ should do any suffering."

"I don't _mean _to be this way Mikey. I'm not trying to fool anyone here. I'm just attempting to maintain...to keep some semblance of strength."

"Do you remember what Sensei used to remind us of, about trying to stand on our own strength?"

Leonardo didn't answer him, so Mike reached under the coffee table for a book, flipping through it slowly.

_"Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work._

_If one falls down, his friend can help him up._

_But pity the man who falls down, and has no one to help him up!_

_Also, if two lie together, they will keep warm._

_But who can keep warm alone?_

_Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves._

_A cord of three strands is not quickly broken."_

Michelangelo looked up from reading, but didn't say another word until Leonardo met his gaze. "I could never forget that passage Fearless. It came up again in one of the last conversations I ever had with Sensei."

"I feel like I_ am _forgetting Mike, and I don't want to." Leonardo said brokenly. "It almost makes me feel like I'm losing him all over again. And I know how much he was counting on me to..."

"Leo, ever since we were kids, you've been trying to take care of us. You're our big brother, I guess it's only natural that it works out that way. But you've gotta stop thinking that it's your job to make sure the world keeps spinning. You'll _never_ be stronger on your own than the four of us can be _together_...and you know that."

He nodded slightly, brushing away tears that were falling. "Every time that I try to cast this weight off, it seems to come back with a vengeance. I _can't_ escape the feeling that I have to keep things going somehow."

"You just need to try being a little more honest about it Fearless. Don't you see that it would make it easier for _us_ to talk about stuff too?"

Leonardo nodded again, then glancing up suddenly as he heard Raphael coming down the stairs.

The red-banded turtle's darkened glare immediately shifted when he caught sight of the scene in front of him.

"Uh...what's goin' on?" He said a little cautiously.

"We're just talking here Raph." Mike spoke up, as the turtle came over to join them.

"You alright Fearless?" Raphael asked pointedly.

Leonardo shook his head morosely. "No, not really Raph. Sometimes, I still wonder if things can ever be completely normal down here again."

"What's _normal _Leo?" Raph asked. "Whatsa matter?"

"Just...Sensei."

"Yeah, of course." Raphael said a little blandly. "It's comin' up alright, I shoulda known."

None of the three brothers said anything for a little over a minute's time, glancing at one another a little blankly.

"There's not really anything we can say right now, that we haven't been over a bunch of times already is there?" Leonardo finally said aloud.

"Fearless, don't you ever let your _fear_ keep you silent." Raphael told him carefully.

"What do you mean?"

"You think I don't know what goes through your head? Remember, I'm on a first name basis with our author. Perhaps soon to be _late_ author."

At least _that_ got a small laugh out of him.

"Once again..." Leonardo trailed off for a second. "I'm going to try harder."


	48. Visitors

***Two days later back in Ohio.**

* * *

The music lightly playing in the background of the author's bedroom was the first sign of returning to reality.

_Hm...Saturday...no rush to have to get up for work. The weekend never feels long __enough__. I'm still tired, I don't even feel like moving or thinking about anything yet. I am pretty thirsty though._

When eyes opened, a startled scream nearly escaped.

"Whoa, _easy_ Sarah, you're alright." Leonardo assured calmly. "It's_ just _us."

Both blankets on the bed were quickly yanked up further.

"You _guys_! What are you _doing _here?"

"Waitin' on_ you _to wake up." Michelangelo said matter-a-factly.

"What if I'd been _indecent_? How did you even get in here?"

"What, like it was _hard_?" Donatello said with a hint of a smirk. "I only _asked_ you to let me in last time out of courtesy."

The sight of all four turtles sitting indian style in the small room was actually enough to cause a smile.

"Well this is_ slightly _unexpected. You've _got_ my number Donnie, why didn't you tell me that you were coming?"

"We thought it'd be more fun to _surprise_ you." Raphael said darkly.

The bed covers immediately came up even further.

"Speaking of _surprises_, what happened to _my_ ending for that chapter Sarah?" He demanded.

"It just wasn't satisfying Raphael. You _know_ you were too hard on Donnie."

"_I _was happy with it."

"But you're not the only one I have to think about here!"

Donatello's penetrating gaze didn't look any happier than his brother's.

"Aw, c'mon Donnie, you _can't_ be mad at me too! Raph _made_ me do it!"

"Did he_ make _you do it in your other fics Sarah?" The turtle challenged at once.

"Well _no_, but...you can't _tell_ me that you guys don't get a kick out of it too!"

"She makes a valid point." Michelangelo spoke up.

"I knew _you'd_ understand Mikey, you've been my inspiration all along."

"I had my _own_ plans for you Sarah, but then I figured you probably weren't really in the mood for all that." Raphael cut in.

"Unfortunately no...it's been a rough couple of days. I'm sorry for making you guys slug through it along with me."

"We understand...this has become sort of a safe outlet for you, hasn't it?" Leonardo said quietly.

"I guess you could say that."

"So..." Michelangelo said a little mischievously, intentionally shifting the conversation. "Rumor has it that you're working on your next fic already."

"How did you guys hear about _that_? I haven't even started _writing_ it yet, it's just a series of scenes and idea rolling through my head. I didn't even mention it to anyone, except...hold _on_ a second. Has _somebody_ been reading my messages?"

Donnie shrugged innocently. "Why are you looking at _me_?"

"_Donatello_..."

"I was just trying to get some hints about our next incoming torture fest." Donatello said wryly.

"Obviously I'm going to have to start changing my password _daily_."

"C'mon sister, can't you just give us a hint or something?" Raphael pressed.

"Stolle got away for a reason Raphael. You can bet you're gonna be hearing from him."

"_Great_, something to look forward to." The red-banded turtle said sarcastically.

"You'll be coming a bit more into the forefront of everything in this one Raph."

"Why does that give me a sinking feeling Sarah?"

"Um...now that you mention it, I probably _could_ just start apologizing right now."

"At least it'll get you off _my_ shell." Donatello said sardonically.

"Well...not_ really _Donnie."

He sighed, folding his arms slowly in front of his chest. "How bad is this going to be?"

"The only thing you need to know for right now, is that everything will eventually work out, like it _always _does."

"The _ending_ ain't what concerns me - more like the beginning and the middle." Raphael said.

"Don't worry _too _much Raph, you're not gonna _remember_ it anyway."

"What's_ that _supposed to mean?" Leonardo asked.

"That's all you're getting from me for now. Are you guys hungry, 'cause I am."

"Starving!" Mike chortled.

"Why do I bother asking?"

* * *

"You guys can watch whatever you want, just don't erase anything on the DVR please!"

"How _bad_ do you want this episode of the Mentalist Sarah?" Raphael called dangerously from the living room.

"You _touch _Simon Baker, and you're seriously going to regret it Raphael!"

"Better listen to her Raph," Mike called from his perch at the kitchen table. "You know she holds the fate of your shell in her hands. Hey Sarah, are you sure you don't want any help with this?"

"I _do_ know how to make scrambled eggs Mikey, though I sure don't mind your company. You know, when we were kids, my sister had a major crush on you. My brother might have even forged a love note to her from you."

"Mmm...kid had good taste. What's she up to now?"

"She's married with four children."

"Sounds like she ain't _pining_ away for ya anymore Mikey!" Raphael snickered from the other room.

"I'm sure you'll always hold a special place in her heart Mike."

"Are those her kids, the pictures on the fridge?" He asked.

"Yeah, Chloe's three and a half, she's the oldest...then Cameron is about 18 months old. And the twin boys, Jayden and Jordan...they're just a bit over a month old."

"Wow. She's got her hands full, huh?"

"That's what _everybody_ says. At least she had a chance to take the twins down to see my Grandfather last weekend. She was so close to him growing up. After my mom's first husband left her and Krista, they ended up _living_ with our Grandma and Grandpa for awhile. Watching her fall apart that way was really hard."

After a beat of hesitation - "I had never seen somebody, right after they've died before. When my Mom had that stroke in the hospital, my Dad didn't take us kids back to see her. I'm glad of that _now_ more than ever. Standing in that room yesterday was one of the hardest things I've ever done, though I wouldn't readily want to admit it. I've heard people say that looking at someone at that point was like staring at the empty shell, of where a person _used_ to be. It didn't feel like that to me. It just looked like..._death_, as stupid as that might sound. I don't know if I'll ever be able to get that image out of my mind. I understand why my aunt didn't want to go in...I know she went through the same thing with HER father."

"But at least you got to be there." Michelangelo said softly.

"Yeah, things got cut _really_ close. I was out of a town at a Women's Retreat, I'd only been home for a couple of hours when we got the call. I would have been devastated if I'd been hours away when I found out. But anyway...I don't want to waste anymore energy on this right now."

"Are those eggs getting anywhere?"

"Oh...well it would help if I had the correct _burner _turned on!"

"You sure you have this under control?"

"I'm just distracted Mikey. This gives me a chance to add some shredded cheese, doesn't that sound good?"

"Are you sure I can't do anything?"

"You're not gonna rest until I let you work your magic, are you?"

"It would be nice to eat breakfast _before_ we need to start on dinner."

"You win - just shut your trap and get your shell over here."

Michelangelo took charge of the stove top, whistling quietly as he started adding his own combination of seasonings.

"Nothing too spicy please Mike!"

Then turning back to the living room, "What are you guys watching?"

"I can see that your television preferences are about as split personality as your musical taste sister." Raphael cracked.

"I'm a complicated individual Raph - you can't read _this_ book by her cover."

"It'd be nice if you didn't have to make _our_ lives so complicated." He muttered.

"Honestly Raph?" Leo spoke up. "We're mutant turtles living in a world full of humans. There isn't a _remote_ chance of our lives being uncomplicated. She's just trying to be realistic."

"I could live with a little more _fantasy_ Fearless." He shot back.

"Don't be scared Raph, I'm sure you'll come out it stronger, no matter what she has in store for you." Donnie tried to assure him, but had the opposite effect.

Raphael glanced over with the first sign of _true_ concern. "Take your_ time _writing Sarah."


End file.
